Care home marketplace: New builds and openings

12 November 2026

Country Court Care acquires 60-bed care home site in Kent

Country Court Care has acquired  a Kent freehold site with planning consent for a 60-bedroom care home.

The site was identified and promoted by specialist care developer Frontier Estates, which secured full planning permission for a a care home scheme before completing the sale to Country Court Care for an undisclosed sum, according to Christie & Co, which handled the sale.

Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027, with the home scheduled to open in late 2028. Plans include en suite wetrooms in every bedroom, alongside communal facilities such as a café, shared resident spaces and landscaped gardens.

There are currently no care home beds with wetroom facilities within a three-mile catchment of the site, according to the developer.

Family-owned Country Court Care operates 49 care and nursing homes across East of England, East Midlands, London and the South East, delivering residential, nursing and dementia care.

04 November 2026

Inspired Villages gets go-ahead for 91-unit Hampshire extra care expansion

Development of extra-care housing on a former sawmill site in Ampfield has moved closer to breaking ground after plans were approved by the local council.

Senior Living (Chandler's Ford) Ltd, an Inspired Villages group company, secured approval for the next phase of the group’s existing Ampfield Meadows care village, which will see the development of 91 extra care apartments, including two one-bedroom units and 89 two-bedroom units, across a series of two- and three-storey buildings, according to plans.

The development will also provide outdoor amenity space, landscaping, parking and associated infrastructure, according to plans, which also detail that occupation of the units will be linked to a defined care package provided by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered provider, the developer said.

The NatWest Group Pension Fund backed Inspired Villages operates 12 sites across the South East, including two other Hampshire facilities, and has two under construction in Sussex and a further 54-unit development set to open in early 2027.

30 October 2026

Dunham Care highlights £550m care home growth pipeline

New McGoff Group-owned care home operator Dunham Care has unveiled a £550m development pipeline, with schemes planned across England through to 2029.

The operator said it is set to open its second home, 51-bed Bowden Manor in Cheshire, by the end of this year as part of a wider ‘intergenerational’ development of a former hotel site in partnership with McCarthy Stone.

It follows the opening of its first facility, the 67 bed Herne Bay Manor in Kent earlier this year, which Dunham said is now a third full

Meanwhile, the operator said its 70-bed home Morley Hall in Congleton is scheduled to open next year, again as part of a multi-generational scheme that also includes 53 retirement apartments and 14 townhouses.

Dunham Care, which the construction group launched this year after it sold former 19 care home operator New Care to Lovett in 2024,  said it is targeting growth across several locations including Canterbury, Coxheath, Witham, Childwall, Harlow, Nantwich, Stourport, Wilmslow, Northwich, Chelmsford, Rayleigh and Macclesfield.

It previously announced the further two Kent homes would be delivered in partnership with care environment developer Aspire-LPP, and revealed it had secured a £13m loan from Virgin Money to support ‘continued stabilisation and long-term maturity’ of Herne Bay Manor, following initial development funding provided by Octopus Real Estate.

29 October 2026

Barchester starts work on 65-bed Faversham care home

Work has started on a new 65-bed Kent care home set to open in summer 2028, Barchester has announced.

The home will provide residential, dementia and respite care and is being developed by Jenner as part of a wider mixed-use redevelopment of farm land in the Favesham area, the operator said.

Planning permission for the wider scheme was granted by in 2023, with the care home plans approved in 2024.

The home, Holly Gardens, will feature en-suite bedrooms, resident lounges, a café, cinema, hair and beauty salon, activities spaces and spa bathrooms, Barchester said, alongside a ‘life enrichment’ programme and short-stay respite services.

It will join the operator’s portfolio of more than 200 care homes across the UK, including a number of homes across Kent and the wider South East.

21 October 2026

Planning approved for 80-bed Nottingham care home

Senior living developer Charterpoint has secured planning permission from Gedling Borough Council for a new 80-bed care home in the area.

The three-storey scheme will provide en-suite bedrooms alongside lounges, dining areas, activity and hobby spaces, a café and hairdressing salon.

Designed by KWL Architects, the development will occupy a site previously used as a construction compound allocated for residential development within the council’s local plan.

The development is the latest care home project from Nottingham-based Charterpoint, which specialises in senior living and care schemes across the Midlands.

20 October 2026

Kori starts work on £43m Hallmark Essex care home

Kori Construction has broken ground on a £43m Hallmark Luxury Care Homes development in Chigwell, with the 110-bed scheme set to open in 2028.

The project will provide residential, nursing and dementia care, alongside 15 independent living suites under Hallmark’s “The Residences” model, the operator said.

It added the new build will include a dedicated wellbeing suite incorporating the local area’s first care home hydrotherapy pool, alongside a gym, therapy room and in-house physiotherapy services.

Other facilities at the home will include a café, cinema, hair salon, ice cream parlour, general store, sensory gardens and a tai chi deck designed to support residents’ physical, social and emotional wellbeing, according to Hallmark.

The scheme follows planning permission secured in 2024 for the redevelopment of a two-acre ‘suplus’ Guide Dogs for the Blind land.

The Chigwell scheme will become Hallmark's fourth care home in Essex, joining Admiral Court in Leigh-on-Sea and Anisha Grange in Billericay, both rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, and Hutton View in Brentwood, which is rated ‘good’.

Kori Construction will build the scheme, with Hallmark saying it will seek to maximise the use of local suppliers and businesses throughout the build programme. 

15 October 2026

Hove care home kicks off £1.3m expansion

A Hove care home is set to increase capacity following a £1.3m expansion project, adding eight bedrooms alongside further ‘upgraded’ facilities, including a new lounge and assisted bathroom, according to Pilbeam Construction, which has been appointed to carry out the work.

The home currently provides nursing and personal care for up to 41 older people, including individuals living with sight loss, and is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) across all five inspection domains.

The firm said the home will remain operational while work, including a roof extension, dormer construction, and new mechanical and electrical infrastructure, is carried out. It is scheduled to be completed next August.

15 October 2026

Downing backs further Care Concern expansion

Investment firm Downing has backed long-term partner Care Concern to acquire three further care homes, including two development sites set to deliver 145 new care home beds in southern England.

The firm said the transactions build on the acquisition of a new-build care home near Edinburgh completed in August. Care Concern Group operates more than 100 care homes across England, Scotland and Wales.

Once developed, the two southern sites will add 145 beds to the market, it added.

Alongside the acquisitions, Downing completed the sale of a specialist care home in Scotland to what it described as a leading global real estate investor. 

11 October 2026

Planning round-up: New homes appoved in Banstead, Harrow and Penrith

Here's a round-up of the latest care home planning approvals:

In Surrey, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has approved plans for a 64-bedroom specialist dementia care home in Banstead. The scheme will see the demolition of Arundel House, a former facility for adults with learning disabilities that was sold by Surrey County Council in 2023, and replaced with a purpose-built four-floor facility. Plans include shared dining and day spaces, a hairdressing salon, an activity room and cinema within an 'Arts and Crafts' style design featuring varied roof forms, gables and bay windows. The scheme also incorporates biodiversity enhancements, sustainable drainage measures, cycle storage and 18 parking spaces. The application was submitted by Beulah Hill Developments LLP. 

Meanwhile, in north-west London, Harrow has granted permission to redevelop the former Oakleigh House Nursing Home site, which closed in 2018 following an 'inadequate' rating from the Care Quality Commission. The existing home is to be demolished and replaced with a new 24-bed care home, which is proposed to comprise a two-storey building with a basement and habitable roof space, together with landscaping, parking and revised access arrangements. Planning conditions require a minimum 10 per cent biodiversity net gain alongside green roofs, solar panels, cycle storage and bat boxes.

Further north, Hadrian Healthcare has secured planning permission for a new luxury care home in Penrith. The proposed 'manor house'-style development will offer residential and dementia care within a home featuring en-suite bedrooms, lounges, landscaped gardens, a café bar, cinema, beauty salon and village shop. The scheme will add a third operational care home to the provider's portfolio, which currently comprises The Manor House Gosforth in Newcastle upon Tyne and The Manor House Whickham in Gateshead, both rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission. The group is also progressing a further new-build care home project in Hexham, Northumberland.

09 October 2026

Bridlington provider to develop women only dementia beds

A Bridlington care home is expanding its specialist dementia provision with the launch of a dedicated 24-bed community designed exclusively for women.

Red House Care Home, part of the HICA Group,  said it decided to open the new residential community offering residential, dementia, respite and end-of-life care for female residents in response to growing local demand, with women accounting for around two-thirds of people living with dementia.

It added that the new service - named Bayle – will offer en-suite facilities for a proportion of the beds, alongside shared lounges and secure outdoor spaces, alongside personalised care packages tailored to each resident’s personal history, preferences and routines, and including 24-hour support, medication management and dedicated activity programmes.

Home manager Leah Davies said the community has been designed for women who “may feel more at ease living alongside other women”.

Red House, which was rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission across all five key areas of inspection in a report published in June, is part of not-for-profit provider HICA Group, which runs care homes, homecare and specialist support services across the North of England.

06 October 2026

Frontier sells 75-bed care home development site in Ashford

A development site in Ashford, Kent, with planning consent for a 75-bedroom care home has been sold to a national care home operator, according to specialist property adviser Christie & Co.

The freehold site, which forms part of the former Ashford Hospital estate, has planning approval for a purpose-built care home featuring en suite wetroom accommodation alongside communal amenities including a café and bistro, cinema, hair and beauty salon, family room, landscaped gardens and a range of lounge and dining spaces.

The scheme - brought forward by Frontier Estates - will occupy part of the former Ashford Hospital site, where much of the wider estate has already been redeveloped for new housing, creating a mixed-use community close to Ashford town centre.

30 September 2026

Lovett Care opens 78-bed Kings Hill care home in Kent

Lovett Care has officially opened its new 78-bedroom care home in Kings Hill, Kent, marking the provider's first new development in the South East.

The purpose-built home as already begun building occupancy since its CQC registration earlier this month, and is offering residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, with  facilities including communal lounges, a salon and ‘care technology designed to support resident wellbeing and safety’.

Lovett Care operates 29 care homes across England and described Kings Hill Care Home as an important addition to its growing portfolio.

23 September 2026

Oakland Care opens 72-bed home in Bracknell

Oakland Care has opened its 12th home across London and the South East.

The purpose-built, 72-bedroom home will provide residential, nursing, dementia and respite care with facilities including a café bistro, hair salon, activity room, library, quiet lounges, courtyard gardens and terraces.

Berkshire Manor has been built on a site which has been vacant since the demolition of a damaged Catholic church in 2012 and the subsequent blocking of a residential development by Bracknell Forest Council.

According to Oakland Care, the home has been designed as a carbon-neutral development and is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy via features such as 100 solar panels, air source heat pumps, EV charging points and a wildlife garden area intended to ‘promote and support biodiversity’.

The opening follows Oakland Care becoming the first social care provider to receive a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, according to the company.

22 September 2026

National luxury operator to develop home on a former Devon school site

A former school site in East Devon with planning consent for a 70-bed care home has been acquired by a major national luxury operator, according to a statement from Christie & Co, who brokered the deal.

The former Mill Water School site in Honiton was sold by care developer Frontier Estates for an undisclosed sum to an unnamed operator, the agent said.

Planning permission for the 70 ensuite wetroom home was given by East Devon District Council in June. The plans detail a purpose-built home with communal facilities including a café, salon, cinema room, lounges, dining rooms, landscaped gardens and terraced balconies. Council planning documents said the development would help address a recognised shortfall in care home provision in Honiton and across East Devon.

Frontier Estates identified the 1.27-acre site as suitable for care home development because of local demand and its location within the town, according to the Christie’s & Co announcement.

Planning consent secured

The proposed design for the new build home (pictured) aims to reflect Honiton's architectural character, with red and cream brickwork, landscaped gardens and retained mature trees, according to Frontier architect partner Vestar.

Frontier Estates development director Sophie Kowalska said: " We always wanted this project to go to an operator who shares our commitment to high-quality care, so we are absolutely delighted to have found a well-respected operator, and we look forward to seeing them bring this vision to life.”

Christie & Co director and head of healthcare development and investment Sara Hartill said the marketing process generated freehold, leasehold and turnkey interest from operators, ultimately resulting in a competitive offer from one of the UK's leading care providers.

15 September 2026

Herefordshire approves 84-bed Leominster care home scheme

Plans for a new 84-bedroom care home in Leominster have secured planning approval from Herefordshire Council.

The application, promoted by Muller Property Group, will see the redevelopment of a 1.64-acre former brownfield garage site, known locally as Conod's Yard,  currently used as a haulage and garage business.

The proposed three-storey care home will be arranged around a central courtyard, with bedrooms grouped into smaller resident communities supported by communal areas and nursing facilities. Plans include en-suite wet rooms throughout, alongside adaptations designed to support residents with dementia, neurological conditions and complex nursing needs. Facilities will include lounges, dining rooms, a café-bistro, cinema, hair and nail salon, private dining areas, upper-floor terraces and ground-floor patios, according to Muller.

Supporting documents submitted with the application identified a projected shortfall of 153 wetroom-equipped care beds within the site's five-mile catchment area by 2030, excluding planned provision.

The development is expected to create around 75 jobs once operational. Landscaping proposals include sensory planting, resident allotments, new trees and retained mature planting, with detailed landscaping to be considered under a separate approval process.

10 September 2026

Planning approval: 66 bed Crystal Care home in Chichester

Plans for a 66-bed care home at the Shopwyke Lakes development in Chichester have been approved by the District Council.

The application, submitted by LNT Care Developments & Hanbury Properties, will be constructed on vacant land that had previously been earmarked for housing alongside a wider residential development that’s now complete at the site, according to council papers.

The plans are for a three-storey development for older people, including frail older residents, people with low-level dementia and those requiring respite care to be operated by Crystal Care Collection. All 66 bedrooms will have en-suite facilities alongside communal amenities including lounges, dining rooms, a café and bar, cinema, hair salon, clinic, garden room and family rooms.

The plans received some local opposition, including from Oving Parish Council who questioned whether another care home was needed in the area, as it will be built close to an existing 83 bed home operated by the Connaught Care Collection, which opened last year.

However, planning officers recommended approval, concluding that the scheme represented a policy-compliant form of development in a sustainable location and would not have an unacceptable impact on neighbouring amenity, the local highway network, flood risk or environmental quality - and would deliver ecological enhancements and the required 10 per cent biodiversity net gain.

The proposed design will feature a ‘traditional red and buff brick with weatherboarding details’ exterior, and incorporate solar photovoltaic panels and extensive landscaped outdoor space. Plans also include a 30-space car park, with electric vehicle charging bays, accessible parking spaces, ambulance drop-off provision and cycle parking.

10 September 2026

Planning approval: 81-bed Worsley care home

Plans for an 81-bed care home at the former St Joseph's Convent site in Worsley have been approved by Salford City Council.

The application, submitted by Angela Swift Developments, will see the vacant site redeveloped to provide a new purpose-built care home. According to planning documents, the existing building is no longer considered suitable for modern care provision and will be replaced with an 81-bedroom facility offering 24-hour care.

The home will provide residential, nursing and dementia care, and all bedrooms will have en-suite bathrooms, with facilities including a café-bar lounge, hairdresser, nail bar, activity rooms, dining spaces, quiet rooms, landscaped gardens and sensory garden areas, according to the plans. The development will also include 28 car parking spaces, cycle parking, EV charging points and ambulance drop-off provision.

The proposals generated significant local interest during the planning process, with council records showing 44 objections and one letter of support submitted during consultation. The developer undertook pre-application engagement with the council and held a public exhibition for local residents following lodging the application last December.

Supporting documents submitted with the application argue the development will help address a shortage of market-standard care accommodation in the local authority area. A care needs assessment complied by the developer identified an existing shortfall of 286 care home bedspaces in Salford, rising to 369 by 2030, while also highlighting a particular need for dementia provision.

Construction of the scheme is estimated to cost £17m. Once operational, the care home is expected to employ around 60 people. Sustainability measures include photovoltaic panels, an air source heat pump, biodiversity net gain, retention of existing trees where possible and new landscaping throughout the site, according to the approved plans.

09 September 2026

Groundworks completed on Barchester Wokingham home

Construction is advancing on Heathland Lodge, Barchester Healthcare's new 54-bed care home in Crowthorne, with major groundworks now completed as the scheme moves into its next phase of delivery.

Built by Kori Construction, the development will provide residential, dementia and respite care for older people in Wokingham and the surrounding area when it opens in early 2028.

According to the project team, foundations, substructure works, underground drainage infrastructure and the site's attenuation tank have now been completed, following the breaking ground ceremony in late July.

 The car park and haul road have also been constructed to base course level, while installation of ground-floor precast concrete planks is currently underway ahead of the start of superstructure works.

Once complete, Heathland Lodge will feature en suite bedrooms alongside resident amenities, including a café, cinema, activity spaces, hair and beauty salon and landscaped outdoor areas.

A marketing suite is expected to open in autumn 2027 ahead of launch the following year.

01 September 2026

Boutique Care Homes breaks ground on 64-bed Wokingham development

Boutique Care Homes has begun construction of a 64-bedroom care home in Wokingham that it expects to create around 100 jobs and open in early 2028.

The purpose-built development Evendon View is set to provide residential care, dementia care and short-stay services, with facilities including a bistro, hair and beauty salon, hobby room and a number of lifestyle suites with kitchenettes, alongside landscaped gardens, a wildlife orchard and a nature paddock designed to support wellbeing and community engagement.

The Mayor of Wokingham councillor Alwyn Jones attended the ground breaking ceremony alongside Boutique staff and others from the local community to mark the start of construction (pictured).

The operator said its 7^th home will mirror its sister homes by playing an active role in the local community through partnerships with schools, community groups and local organisations.

Boutique’s existing homes are located across the South East, including locations in Shepperton, Newmarket, Broadstairs, Hythe and Burgess Hill.

28 August 2026

Norwich specialist neurological care scheme for sale after operator exit

A new operator is being sought to take on a Norwich specialist neurological care development after former operator Ethos Care cancelled plans to open at the site, The Care Home Environment has learned.

Designed for adults with neurological conditions, physical disabilities and complex care needs, the clustered housing model had been set to open next month (September) but has now been put up for sale and is being marketed by NGA Care.

The facility - designed to support residents who require specialist care while promoting independence and community living – was registered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to be provided and run by Ethos Care Ltd in February, but has now been archived.

Known as Tacolneston Lake, the scheme is located near Norwich and comprises three detached purpose-built houses providing a total of 11 en suite bedrooms with wet rooms and a range of assistive technologies, according to NGA.

The site also includes a dedicated community building for residents, a separate laundry and staff facility, and a Grade II listed cottage that can be utilised as office or ancillary accommodation, NGA said.

Set within approximately 4.5 acres, the homes incorporate passenger lifts, nurse call systems, CCTV, fall-detection technology, secure access controls and addressable fire alarm systems, according to NGA.