Care home marketplace: New builds and openings

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.

28 August 2026

Crystal Care set to open 31st home in Oxfordshire

Crystal Care Collection is set to open a 66-bed care home in Bicester in October, bringing its footprint to 31 homes across England and North Wales.

The operator said the new purpose-built home has been designed with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, with features including photovoltaic solar panels, battery storage systems, ground source heat pumps, LED motion-sensor lighting and water-saving technologies, alongside the use of sustainable construction materials.

All rooms have en suite wet rooms and are being marketed under an all-inclusive fee structure which the provider said is intended to provide greater cost certainty for residents and families.

The provider added the home will also take part in its Community Tree initiative, which seeks to strengthen links between care homes, schools, local businesses and community groups.

Crystal Care Collection offers luxury residential, dementia and respite care across a portfolio of care homes across England and North Wales, including in East Sussex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, Warrington and Derbyshire.

According to its website, it currently has a further five homes set to open towards the end of the year or early 2027.

26 August 2026

LNT Care Developments gets planning approvals for South East care home new builds

LNT Care Developments has secured planning permission for two new care home developments in Kent and East Sussex.

The developer announced that plans had been approved for a new care home scheme in Sittingbourne today, but has not yet released details of the proposed bed capacity or operator..

The approval comes after planning consent for a separate LNT care home development in Bexhill, East Sussex. The 66-bed scheme is being developed on behalf of frequent partner Crystal Care Collection and will become the operator's second care home in the town alongside Collington Park Lodge.

According to the developer, the Bexhill home will include en suite wet rooms, garden rooms with patio access, a courtyard garden and on-site entertainment facilities.

LNT said it is seeking further additional development opportunities across the region, targeting sites of between 1.1 and five acres located close to community facilities.

Construction timetables or expected opening dates have noy yet been announced for either development.

26 August 2026

Extra-care housing development opens at former Porth care home site

A 60-apartment extra care housing development has begun operating in Porth, with the first residents moving into the new Dan-y-Mynydd scheme on the site of a former residential care home.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said this week that 12 people have moved into the development so far, which is being delivered in partnership with housing firm Codi Group (formerly Linc Cymru) and care provider Radis Community Care. The project, delivered by Intelle Construction on behalf of the Council, brings the former Dan-y-Mynydd Resident ial Care Home site back into use, which the council said is its fourth extra care accommodation scheme.

The development – which includes a shared dining area, hair salon, activity room, council-managed day care centre, spa room, launderette, guest accommodation and communal gardens - has been designed to support older people to live independently while accessing scheduled care and emergency support from on-site staff if needed, it added.

Planning pemission for the extra care development was granted and the old care home buildings on the site were demolished in 2021.

The council said a further 29 future residents have so far secured apartments and were preparing to relocate over the coming weeks.

Delivery model

The opening comes as demand for specialist housing is expected to increase as government policy shifts increasingly towards supporting people with frailty and disabilities to live more independently. According to specialist health and social care housing consultancy Housing LIN, there are approximately 49,000 extra care housing units nationwide, including 42,696 dwellings in England. The organisation's Strategic Housing for Older People analysis programme has also highlighted a significant shortfall in specialist housing provision for older people, with local authorities facing growing pressure to expand housing-with-care options as the population ages

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council cabinet member for social care Gareth Caple said that extra care housing plays “an important role in helping people remain part of their communities while accessing appropriate support in a safe and modern environment.

“With extra care apartments and Council-managed day services operating from the same site, the development in Porth will ensure older people can access modern accommodation, care and community-based support,” he said.

“I’d like to thank Radis Community Care for the continued help and companionship they offer residents, and Codi Group for our strong partnership – which continues to bring forward major investment in residential and extra care accommodation across our Rhondda Cynon Taf communities,” he added.

Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, Councillor Ann Crimmings , said the council has “several more projects” in the pipeline, demonstrating its “commitment to modernising care accommodation options for older people”, including “a specialist residential care development in Gelli nearing completion, while the construction phase of a mixed care development in Mountain Ash begun earlier this year.

“We’ve also committed to future schemes in Church Village and Ferndale – with the latter gaining planning permission this month,” she added.

25 August 2026

Planning shake-up: What care home developers need to know

Care home developers could see major planning applications reviewed at mayoral level under new government proposals that would give mayors across England powers to intervene in significant developments.

The changes, announced by No 10  this week, would allow mayors to ‘call in’ planning applications deemed strategically important to local growth and either direct councils to approve or refuse them. The move would extend powers already available to the Mayor of London to mayoral authorities across England.

Under the proposals, developments involving more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space, or buildings taller than 30 metres would fall within scope. Mayors would also be able to grant certain forms of upfront development consent, allowing projects to proceed without a separate planning application stage.

The announcement is the latest in a series of planning reforms aimed at accelerating development and supporting economic growth.

What has the government announced and how does it impact care developments?

The government's proposals would give mayors across England new powers to intervene in strategically important planning applications, extending powers already available to the Mayor of London.

Under the proposals, mayors will be able to ‘call in’ major developments and direct a local authority to approve or refuse an application where it is considered important to local growth, regeneration or wider regional priorities.

The reforms form part of wider devolution plans, giving mayors a greater role in housing investment decisions and new powers to raise infrastructure funding through developer levies. However, the government said councils will continue to determine the majority of planning applications, while developers will retain appeal rights and ministers will continue to hold reserve intervention powers. 

For care home developers, the mayoral powers could have implications for schemes that form part of larger mixed-use developments, regeneration projects or strategic growth areas. While the government's announcement is primarily focused on housing and commercial development, care homes are often included within wider masterplans designed to deliver community infrastructure and support local growth objectives.

The proposals mean engaging with elected mayors and combined authorities alongside local planning authorities will become increasingly important for developers, showing how plans support regional priorities including housing needs, regeneration ambitions, employment growth or community infrastructure provision.

However, the government has stressed that all decisions will continue to be made within the existing planning framework, and applications will still need to comply with national planning policy, local plans and statutory planning requirements.

For care home development plans, that means the core planning considerations are unlikely to change, including demonstrating local need, delivering high-quality design, making efficient use of land and showing how schemes contribute to sustainable and inclusive communities.

The wider planning context

The proposals sit alongside the government's broader planning reforms and the recently updated National Planning Policy Framework.

The framework requires local authorities to assess the housing and accommodation needs of different groups within their communities, including older people.

It also places greater emphasis on creating healthy, inclusive communities and supporting facilities and services, meaning care home developments can be considered as part of wider social infrastructure, particularly in areas experiencing growth in older populations.

What happens next?

The government said detailed proposals on the new mayoral powers will be published for consultation, setting out how they will operate in practice.

Until then, care home developments will continue to be assessed based on the fundamentals of the planning system: demonstrating local need, aligning proposals with local plans, delivering high-quality design and showing how schemes contribute to sustainable communities.

If implemented, however, the reforms could add a significant new decision-maker to the planning process for some of England's largest development projects.

21 August 2026

CoActive Care expands with acquisition of 27-bed Plymouth care home

CoActive Care has added a long-established care home in Plymouth to its Devon portfolio, taking its footprint in the county to four facilities for working age and older adults.

Its latest acqusition, Two Trees, is registered for up to 28 residents with learning disabilities, dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments and operates from a 27-bedroom period property on the northern outskirts of Plymouth. It has been run by the Gliddon family since it opened in 1978, and was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report published in 2023, with ‘Good’ ratings for ‘caring and responsive’, and RI ratings for ‘safe, effective and well-led’.

CoActive Care said the acquisition forms part of its strategy to expand its provision of person-centred specialist care across the region, adding to the three specialist residential care homes  it already runs across Devon for adults with complex physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health needs, acquired brain injuries and dementia. Two of its existing homes are rated good, while the third has not yet been rated following its opening earlier this year.

The purchase was handled by Christie & Co

30 July 2026

Dunham Care and Aspire-LPP agree Kent care home development joint venture

New luxury care home provider Dunham Care Homes has entered into a joint venture agreement with care home developer Aspire-LPP Limited to deliver two new purpose-built care homes in Coxheath and Canterbury, Kent.

The deal follows the sale of two consented development sites brokered by Christie & Co.

Once completed, the schemes are set to provide a combined 146 en suite wetroom bedrooms, with plans for extensive communal amenities including cafés, salons, landscaped gardens and resident lounges, according to a statement.

The projects will become the latest additions to the McGoff Group’s new operator group Dunham Care portfolio, after it opened its first home in Herne Bay, Kent, earlier this year. Two further schemes are under construction in Bowdon, South Manchester, and Congleton, Cheshire, while a further eight care home settings either have planning consent or are subject to imminent planning applications, the company has said.

23 July 2026

Lovett Care set to open second south east home this Autumn

Lovett Care's new care home in Chelmsford is expected to complete in October, with construction entering its final phase, according to a statement.

Chelmsford Manor will provide residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, and forms part of Lovett Care's expansion into the South East, alongside the group's new care home at Kings Hill in Kent, which is scheduled to open next month.

Lovett said it expects the 60-bed Chelmsford facility to create around 100 jobs, with recruitment under way.

It added that external brickwork and roof tiling have now been completed, while contractors continue work on the building's interior. Once open, the home will feature en-suite bedrooms, communal lounges and dining areas, spa-assisted bathrooms, a hair salon, landscaped gardens and a programme of activities aimed at supporting wellbeing.

Chelmsford continues to attract investment in specialist elderly care accommodation as operators respond to rising demand from a growing older population. According to the Office for National Statistics, the city's population reached 188,803 in 2024, while Census data shows the number of residents aged 65-74 increased by more than 25 per cent between 2011 and 2021.

Alongside the Lovett development, the city is seeing a notable boost in elderly care beds, including the recently opened Broomfield Village Care Home from Principle Care Homes, and Graham Care's new care home development at Broomfield, which is expected to open this autumn. Together, these schemes reflect growing confidence in the Chelmsford market, where demographic trends and increasing demand for modern residential, nursing and dementia care are continuing to attract investment from care home operators and developers. The wider Mid Essex area is also expected to see its strongest population growth among those aged 65 and over through to 2040, according to demographic forecasts published by Essex County Council.

14 July 2026

Barchester opens 62-bed luxury home in Woking

Barchester Healthcare is to hold an open weekend this week for its newest purpose-built care home development in Woking, Surrey.

The 62-bed home, Weystone Manor – originally set to open in spring -  will provide residential and dementia care alongside short-stay respite and intermediate care services. Facilities include a café, cinema, dining spaces and spa bathrooms.

According to Barchester Healthcare, the home also includes a dedicated Memory Lane community for people living with dementia, with care focused on independence, dignity and choice. The provider said residents will have access to a programme of activities alongside specialist dementia support.

Barchester Healthcare said the home features a range of communal spaces designed to support social interaction and wellbeing, alongside accommodation tailored to residents' individual care needs.

The opening marks the latest addition to Barchester Healthcare's portfolio of more than 260 homes across the UK. The operator is in the process of being taken over alongside hundreds of homes run by a range of operators, including Care UK, by US real estate investment trust (REIT) Welltower.

However, the process has been delayed due to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe, which has meant the US firm has had to divest a few unnamed homes to allay competition fears in some local areas.

10 July 2026

McGoff Group secures £13m Virgin Money backing for new operator Dunham Care

The McGoff Group has secured a £13m funding facility from Virgin Money to support Herne Bay Manor -  the first care home under its new Dunham Care operator division.

The group said the five-year loan will support the continued stabilisation and long-term maturity of the Kent home, which opened earlier this year, forming part of a wider senior living development in the coastal town.

The transaction refinances the original development funding provided by Octopus Real Estate, which supported the wider Herne Bay scheme, the firm said. This includes a ‘retirement village’ of 50 Villafont Concierge bungalows.

The deal also marks the beginning of a new funding relationship between the McGoff Group and Virgin Money, with both parties indicating plans to build on the partnership as the Group expands its healthcare portfolio, according to a McGoff statement.

McGoff said previously that it has a further eight care home settings in its pipeline that either have planning consent or are subject to imminent planning applications, and are expected to be delivered over the next five to seven years, including a planned cluster of developments in the South-East as the group looks to widen its footprint.

The funding was facilitated by Hive Capital Advisory, led by Nick White, while Virgin Money relationship director Jonathan Russell, relationship director said the lender was pleased to support the Group’s first operational home under the Dunham Care brand.

25 June 2026

Martello Manor admits first residents as Boutique Care Homes expands in Kent

Boutique Care Homes has opened its latest purpose-built care home in Hythe, Kent, with the arrival of its first residents marking the operational launch of Martello Manor on this week.

The provider’s 5^th purpose built home was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) earlier this month, will provide accommodation for up to 70 older people, including those living with dementia and physical or sensory impairments, and short-stay respite care,the company said.

Martello Manor is the latest Boutique Care Homes to open in its expanding South East England luxury portfolio, combining hotel-style amenities with personalised care models. It has a further three in development, and is looking for further sites.

Facilities include en-suite bedrooms, landscaped gardens and communal spaces such as a bistro, salon and activity areas. The provider’s in-house ‘Nostalgia Care’ approach underpins its dementia offer, focusing on reminiscence and personalised engagement as part of a wider life enrichment framework, it said in a statement.

The new home is part of a wider development, including 86 residential homes, of a former 8 acre factory site operated by Smiths Medical, which closed fully in 2017. 

12 June 2026

Macc Care wins backing for 71 bed build on brownfield site

Midlands-based operator Macc Care is to begin developing its 21st home after securing backing from specialist lender Paragon Development Finance, which is looking to "diversify into sectors increasingly critical to the UK's long-term housing and care needs".

Paragon Development Finance has strengthened its position in the UK care home development market with a new funding deal to support the delivery of a 71-bed purpose-built scheme in Birmingham.

The specialist lender said its backing would enable the care home group to acquire a brownfield site on Shaftmoor Lane in Hall Green, Birmingham, and d evelop a 44,132 sq ft, 72-bed purpose-built care home. The completed asset is expected to achieve a mature trading value in excess of £25m and will represent the operator’s 21st home, according to the real estate financing arm of the Paragon Banking Group, which is also Midlands based.

The move reflects the group's aim to expand beyond traditional residential development into later living and care due to structural demand driven by population ageing and rising complexity of care needs, it said in a statement published this week.

Macc Care chief executive Dr Naz Nathani said the new development reflects the group's focus on "scaling a clinically led, innovative care platform, creating high-quality, luxury care environments", and said the provider "valued the collaborative approach" taken by Paragon to "structure a bespoke, sector-aligned funding solution that recognised the specific requirements of specialist care assets".

"As we continue to expand our platform, we look forward to building on this relationship and undertaking further transactions with Paragon to support our ongoing growth," he added.

10 June 2026

Care UK and Barchester kick off £47m care home developments across Southern England

Two of the UK’s largest care home groups have struck a deal with longstanding construction partner Kori to work on four new care home developments, according to the building firm.

The projects, with a combined value of £47m, will provide 274 new beds across the South of England, according to the developer, which has previously completed four schemes for Barchester Healthcare and three for Care UK, with a further project for the latter already underway.

The two developments for Care UK comprise a 78-bedroom care home in Burnham, Buckinghamshire and a 72-bedroom scheme in Weybridge, Hampshire on a site that will require demolition of an existing office building.

The Barchester Healthcare projects comprise a 64-bedroom home in Liss,, Surrey and a 60-bedroom nursing home in Crowthorne, Berkshire, with the latter designed to support elderly, frail and ‘memory care’ people.

The plans for all four schemes involve private en-suite accommodation, alongside a range of communal amenities, including cafés, lounges, dining areas and landscaped gardens.

The developer said the schemes are scheduled for completion from late 2027 through 2028 and will incorporate site-specific social value initiatives, including employment, skills development and community engagement.

12 May 2026

Extra care homes development set for former hat factory site

Construction of a 70-apartment extra care scheme for adults aged 55 and over is set to begin in July, after the demolition of  long-vacant former hat factory in Atherstone, set to be completed early next month.

The extra care homes development on the former Britannia Mill site = which has been vacant for over 20 years, is being delivered by Deeley Construction in partnership with Housing 21, with support from North Warwickshire Borough Council and Homes England.

Housing 21 Delivery Development Manager Ash Round said the development will be designed for independent living for people aged 55+, with communal facilities and a dedicated on-site manager.

08 May 2026

Doctor-founded Macc Care opens 18th midlands home

Luxury care home operator Macc Care has opened a 72-bed home in Shirley - its 18th in the region.

Macc Care said the new home - Heathview Rose -  has been designed to meet increasing demand for high-quality, person-centred care in the West Midlands, offering en-suite accommodation alongside a range of communal and therapeutic spaces to support residents with varying and complex needs'.

The group said it has plans to open a 19th facility in Codsall later this year as part of its "focus on sustainable growth", according to director Bhav Amlani.

29 April 2026

80-bed three-storey care home to get underway on Middleton brownfield site

Highgate Care is set to run a planned new build 80-bed care home after a brownfield site with planning permission for the facility in Middleton, greater Manchester was bought by North Bay Developments.

The planned home will be a three-storey, purpose-built facility with en-suite wet room accommodation, communal lounges, a café space and ‘wellness’ amenities, and will be built alongside 20 residential townhouses after demolition of the existing Parkfield House building on the site – formerly council and corporate offices.

North Bay acquired the site from Muller Property Group, which had acquired the building and land in 2023, and secured planning permission for the development last year.

Richard Hoggart, CEO, North Bay Developments, and owner of 25-home Highgate Care, said the development was part of its plans to “ grow our pipeline of high-quality, purpose-built care homes across the North of England”.

“Developments like Parkfield House are a clear example of how we are supporting the sector, responding to increasing pressures on social care by delivering modern, sustainable, and fit-for-purpose environments that meet the needs of both residents and operators,” he added.