Could we solve the care crisis with a tweak to planning rules?

By Michelle McGagh , Sep 18, 2012
Filed under: Retirement

Planning permission is one of those unfathomable bits of the council, where new levels of bureaucracy are formed every day and new forms are printed hourly. But the government has said it will cut through the red tape in the hope that it will stimulate the economy.

A planning free-for-all is on the cards if the coalition has its way. Under the new plans the size of extensions allowed without permissions would be doubled to 20 feet for terraced houses and 26 feet for detached properties.

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And businesses will be able to expand premises by 100 square meters and industrial units by 200 square meters.

By encourage building it will not only provide a boost to the construction industry but businesses would also be encouraged to diversify and grow.

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To run alongside the changes to planning the government will also offer £10 billion in state-backed guarantees for more housing developments.

But I think it would do well to marry these two proposals and not just for house building behemoths, but for ordinary people.

It would be great if the government could provide loans to people who want to extend their homes under the new planning rules if that extension were to be used for the care of elderly people.

We are all living longer and will need more care, which is terrifically expensive for the local authorities and families. The government is looking for ways around the impending care crisis that Britain faces and helping people stay with their families could be one way round the problem.

Some of that £10 billion could go towards grants, interest-free loans or tax breaks for people who undertaking home modification, maybe the building of a granny annexe, to accommodate their loved ones.

There must be many families who would gladly take in infirm relatives if they had the space. A survey by insurer Aviva showed around 20% of intergenerational living was families welcoming older relatives into their homes.

The report showed that on average families are £119 a month better off living with an older relative as well as around a third, 31%, saying living together has bought the family closer together.

The government is keen for builders to be given a break but why not kill two birds with one stone and provide families with a workable and financially benefit solution to our care crisis.