Central Bedfordshire Council: A community-led approach to developing age-friendly housing

Central Bedfordshire Council is keen to stimulate the supply of community-led approaches to deliver housing for the ageing population in the area. The Council’s guide, ‘How to Develop a Community-Led Approach to Age Friendly Housing in Central Bedfordshire’ sets out action that will assist communities in Central Bedfordshire to take the next steps in implementing plans to increase the number of homes suitable for an ageing population.


Introduction

Central Bedfordshire Council is keen to stimulate the supply of community-led approaches to deliver housing for the ageing population in the area. The council’s guide, How to Develop a Community-Led Approach to Age Friendly Housing in Central Bedfordshire sets out action that will assist communities in Central Bedfordshire to take the next steps in implementing plans to increase the number of homes suitable for an ageing population.

The intention is to build on the council’s Investment Prospectus on Meeting the Accommodation Needs of Older People, which seeks to enable the creation of a range of housing options that will meet the needs of the growing older population in the area. Developing community-led housing is one approach the council is seeking to nurture as part of this diversification of housing choice.

The council’s approach

The council worked in partnership with the Housing LIN, the UK Cohousing Network, and the National Community Land Trust Network, to conduct a series of discussion groups and workshops to better understand community-led housing and how it could work in Central Bedfordshire to ensure that new, age friendly housing will meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community.

This work resulted in the development of the guide which explains community-led housing approaches and provides a range of useful background information on the main characteristics of living in Central Bedfordshire in later life. It then goes on to describe different community-led housing approaches and offers practical tips and examples. For example, it provides information on Community Land Trusts and examples of where this has worked successfully to deliver housing for the local community.

The intention as to help inspire residents to shape the future provision of housing that meets their needs and aspirations.

Outcomes

Central Bedfordshire Council have supported the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) to up-skill staff to provide accredited advice to communities interested in exploring community-led housing. BRCC are the Bedfordshire delivery partner for Eastern Community Homes (working across the East of England).

The report entrenched community-led housing as a model that the council are keen to support and deliver.