Should my supported living scheme be planning Use Class C2 or C3?
- Supported living and specialised supported housing will pretty much always fall within a C3 planning use class
- Typically planning applications for supported living will be classified as C3(b) – to make the planning distinction between supported living and ‘general needs’ residential housing
- A C2 planning use class is for residential care, including care homes, hospitals, and SEND schools
In more detail
In our experience, even planning officers can get confused between C2 and C3 Use Classes for supported living. We have been involved in several supported living applications where the planners have tried to push us towards C2, and we’ve had to explain to them why that’s wrong.
However, the good news is that the rules around C2 and C3 are, actually, pretty clear.
In buildings classified as C2, residents are reliant on communal facilities and services (eg food), and also require permanent care on site.
In buildings classified as C3(b), there can be no more than 6 people living together in a single household, each flat is a separate unit of accommodation, tenants have their own rental agreements with a Registered Provider landlord, and tenants have choice over the provision of their own care.
We have seen projects where the level of care required for tenants is so complex and acute, that the Use Class probably sits at the boundary of C2 and C3(b). In these cases the planning application would probably follow the commercial structuring of the project… a residential care solution, or a supported living solution.
One further comment to make about this. You may be proposing a residential care type service, but the council may push back on this and steer you towards supported living. They will say this enhances the dignity and choice for individual occupants, but they are potentially also influenced by a major cost imperative – that, on a per person basis, the council costs for supported living are lower.
How to save time and money
- First of all, understand which tenant groups are being proposed in your SSH development
- Speak to your nominated Care Provider to understand which commercial structure they are proposing (residential vs supported living)
- Speak to the council about which model they would prefer
What next?
It’s so important to submit a planning application with the right Use Class. Getting that wrong could be the difference between a deliverable development, or one that is unable to operate as intended.
If you’d like a specific discussion about your project, whether it should be residential care or supported living, and which Use Class (with arguments) to apply for, book a call with the SSH Help Desk.
The specifics of your SSH scheme are exactly why the Help Desk exists.
Book a call now