Slow-moving care home projects means Northampton area will be 500 elderly beds short by 2022

A report claims parts of Northamptonshire are facing a large shortfall in beds for elderly care by 2022.

A report by Carterwood chartered surveyors claims they have identified nine schemes in Northamptonshire that could provide care and housing for elderly people in the next three years but as of yet show 'no indication of development'.

They say that while nine care homes have been given the go-ahead - which would see a deficit of 100 beds for elderly people by 2022 - the fact they have not yet moved forward means the real number is over 500.

It comes as part of an assessment for a plan by Vanderbilt Strategic Ltd to build a retirement complex off Sywell Lane, near Moulton, with space for up to 100 homes for elderly people and a 70-bed dementia care home.Carterwood - who were commissioned by Vanderbilt to assess the need for care home beds in a 6.5-mile radius around the site - has made the claim in their recommendation to approve the scheme.It reads: "Our assessment... indicates a level of unmet need equivalent to 99 market standard bedspaces in the market catchment area [around Sywell Lane].

Carterwood chartered surveyors say the area outlined by the grey circle is facing a shortfall of 500 care home beds by 2022.

"However, development has not commenced on any of [those nine schemes], and a more realistic measure of demand and supply sees the shortfalls increase in the market catchment area to 506 bedspaces.

"People living with dementia are not well catered for, with a lack of care homes in the market catchment area having dedicated specialist dementia units offering living environments... Our analysis indicates there is a significant unmet need for dedicated dementia provision in the catchment.

"We, therefore, conclude that there is both a strong quantitative and qualitative need for the proposed development."

They point to nine planning proposals in Northamptonshire under three different planning authorities [Daventry, Northampton and East Northamptonshire] that have shown 'no indication of development'.

The report was written by Carterwood chartered surveyors as part of a proposal to build a 70-bed care home off Sywell Lane.

The nine schemes with planning reference numbers they Carterwood have named:

- An application for 2,000 homes off Overstone Lane, Overstone, under Barratt Homes Bristol (DA/2013/0850, Daventry District Council)

- An application for a 60-bed nursing home off Victors Barn, Brixworth, by 'Dr Burston' (DA/2013/0510, Daventry District Council)

- An application for 1,050 homes off land at Brampton Lane, Chapel Brampton, by Martin Grant Homes Ltd (DA/2011/0666, Daventry District Council)

- Retirement village on the site of St Edmunds Hospital, Wellingborough Road, by Kayalef Holdings Ltd (N/2017/0829, Northampton Borough Council)

- Construction of 80-room elderly care home off Sheaf Close, Northampton, by Barry Howards Homes (N/2016/0118, Northampton Borough Council)

- Application for 72-bed care home off Bakers Lane, Long Buckby, by RCG Long Buckby Ltd (DA/2015/1098, Daventry District Council)

- Construction of 85-bed care home between Welton Road and Northern Way, Daventry, by Crown Care VI ltd (DA/2017/0237, Daventry District Council)

- Continuing Care Retirement Community with space for up to 83 elderly care beds off Farnborough Drive, Daventry, by the Ladhar Group (DA/2016/1180, Daventry District Council)

- Construction of 17 bedroom care complex off Badby Road West, Daventry, by Montpelier Estates (DA/2018/0371, Daventry District News)

Carterwood's report claims that even if the proposal for the 70-bed care home off Sywell Lane was approved it would only fill 13.8 per cent of the unmet need they have outlined.

However, some of the developments included in the report are underway albeit slowly, such as the plan to redevelop St Edmunds Hospital in Wellingborough Road, Northampton.