Park Homes in Scotland: Planning for Retirement Living

This ESRC funded research was undertaken by Newcastle University and was commissioned by the Morris Leslie Group to explore the potential for park homes as an option for retirement living in Scotland, with a particular focus on the planning system.

Whilst there has been some research completed on the experiences of park home owners, there is a dearth of work investigating the planning aspects of park home development. This report presents the findings of the research, drawing upon interviews and focus groups with relevant professionals, analysis of planning policies and examples of previous development.  The research found most planning authorities do not have a policy on park home development and those which do exist are unsupportive, with planning officers holding mixed views. 

The report also recommends that the Scottish Government commit to producing national planning policy on retirement accommodation which details how future needs can be met and includes consideration of the potential of park homes. It suggests that the Scottish Government and the Royal Town Planning Institute Scotland provide planning officers with more information on the nature of park homes and guidance on how developments should be considered, with planning authorities open to the possibility of park homes in meeting the needs of an ageing population.

The work received funding from an ESRC Impact Accelerator Account. The data was collected in 2018 and the report completed in early 2019.