Cornwall Council is considering building extra care homes for older people after revealing there was a need for more than 3,500 new ones in Cornwall.

The council is now drawing up a strategy for how to tackle the problem of a lack of extra care homes and looking to work with a “strategic partner” to deliver them.

However the council has also said that if it is unable to work with developers to provide the homes then it may have to build them itself.

A strategic document is set to go to the council’s economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee next week.

It suggests that a first phase of extra care homes should be put into action to build 750 initially.

These would be spread across Cornwall with 50 in each of Penzance, Helston, St Ives, Hayle, Falmouth, Redruth, Truro, St Austell, Camborne, Newquay, Liskeard/Launceston, Looe, Bodmin, Wadebridge/Padstow and Bude.

However the report recognises that this would only provide 21 per cent of the total 3,536 homes which are needed.

Research cited in the report says that residents living in homes run by an extra care provider cost the NHS £1,115 less per person, per year compared to residents in the surrounding area. This represents a 38 per cent saving for the NHS for this group of residents.

The report says that it has also been found that people living in extra care accommodation also have less need for high cost social care services.

It states: “There is growing evidence that having good quality housing options that suit people as they age will result in improved outcomes across both health and social care. Older people spend more time in their home than any other age group and are more at risk of poor health and consume over three fifths of all social care spending. It is essential therefore that the place people live supports them to maintain good health.”

To deliver the extra care accommodation the council is looking to work with a strategic partner or partners which have a track record in providing such homes.

It is also looking to work with a developer which can work quickly, aiming to have homes built within a maximum of three years from being approved.

The report states: “The homes developed will be mid-size extra care facilities reflecting the balance between viability of home size against the requirements of the local population. There is strong evidence to suggest that any service under 40 units will not be as economically viable. Conversely, larger extra care villages are not compatible with the population distribution of Cornwall but would be suited to smaller geographical areas with significantly higher population concentrations.”

It adds: “Where possible they will be located in areas where there is good access to community facilities so that these do not need to be built into the fabric of the homes incurring additional infrastructure costs. Where this is not possible the Council will want the strategic partner to consider what facilities get built into the fabric of the building.”

The council would consider providing grant funding for the schemes or using section 106 receipts from other developments.

The council’s economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee will consider the report when it meets on Tuesday (June 5).