Turning Vision into Deliverable Housing Solutions

Dorset Council has reached a significant milestone, becoming the 100th place in the UK to be recognised as an Age-friendly Community. This achievement builds upon their long-term vision to create more Extra Care Housing across the county, homes designed to help residents live independently, comfortably, and with a strong sense of community.

To meet the growing demand for housing that supports older residents and those with disabilities, Dorset Council needed a strategic approach to develop a series of new Extra Care Housing schemes over the next decade.  The goal was to ensure that older people could continue to live fulfilling lives, stay connected with their communities, and access social and leisure opportunities that matter to them.

Driving Inclusive Housing

Within Dorset Council’s Adults and Housing Directorate, a key strategic objective was to increase the supply of suitable accommodation for both people of working age with disabilities and older residents. Alongside this, the Council is committed to stimulating a diverse range of care and support services, ensuring that residents and their carers have the choice, independence, and quality of life they deserve.

Delivering on this ambition requires homes that are high-quality, practical, and truly deliverable. To achieve this, Dorset Council collaborated with WWA to develop a comprehensive Extra Care Housing Design Guide.

The guide provides a framework for excellence, addressing not only the design of apartments and communal spaces, but also essential considerations such as energy efficiency, security, and sensory design principles. While aspirational in vision, the guide remains grounded in reality, shaped through market engagement sessions with developers and operators to ensure that the standards set are achievable in practice.

Turning Vision into High-quality Homes

This collaborative approach brings together commissioners, occupational therapists, operators, and housing professionals.  This partnership demonstrates how shared vision and expertise can turn ambition into action.

The result is a clear, deliverable pathway to creating high-quality Extra Care Housing that supports Dorset Council’s goal of helping residents remain independent, connected, and in control of their lives. The Design Guide ensures that future housing developments are not only aspirational in design but also practical and achievable for operators, developers and the wider community.

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We are grateful to WWA for sponsoring the Housing LIN’s online planning portal, where you can access a wide range of resources on planning for an ageing population and planning for health and wellbeing.

We are especially grateful to Sarah Parsons of Dorset Council, who presented at our South West Leadership Set on reaching the milestone of Dorset becoming the 100th age-friendly community in the UK. Read more here: