The Sentinel

‘IT’S TOTALLY THE WRONG SETTING’

Families fight plan for children’s home

- Fahad Tariq fahad.tariq@reachplc.com

DOZENS of families are fighting plans to open a children’s home on their street.

They fear the proposal – in Laburnum Grove in Blurton – will lead to anti-social behaviour, cause parking issues, and disturb the lives of elderly residents.

It is proposed that three children will live in the four-bedroom semidetach­ed home at any one time.

Now Stoke-on-trent City Council’s planning department is considerin­g the applicatio­n.

The applicant states: “In broad terms, the use will be no different to that of a family home, where three children live with their parents.

“The only perceivabl­e difference will be the fact that carers will arrive at and leave the property on a 12hour shift basis.

“The shift patterns will be based on typical working days with morning changeover­s at around 7.30am to 8am, with evening changeover­s at around 7.30pm.

“The proposal delivers a specific type of housing which caters for the needs of disadvanta­ged children from the local area.

“It is important that sufficient numbers of this type of housing can come forward to meet the continued demand for such facilities.

“These homes allow children to live as a family unit and bring stability and security to their lives, allowing them to develop and flourish outside of an institutio­nalised setting where integratio­n and developmen­t is much more challengin­g.”

The council says it notified 15 households regarding the planning applicatio­n.

Patricia Card has lived in her Laburnum Grove home for 36 years.

The 61-year-old said: “What sort of children are going to be housed here? Those children need to be in a detached property with grounds for recreation­al purposes so that there’s parking for the staff.

“It’s a residentia­l street. It’s not a local environmen­t for these children.”

Neighbour Steve Till, aged 55, said: “I’m absolutely disgusted. It’s totally the wrong setting. It’s a very small grove.

“We’ve got elderly people and young children in the street.

“It’s the wrong place and the wrong business.

“The city council needs to listen to the taxpayers and realise that dumping a business in the middle of a domestic street isn’t the right idea.

“They need to listen to the people who put them in the position they are.”

Les Beverley has lived in Laburnum Grove for the past six years.

The 63-year-old said: “It’s the wrong location for this sort of home.”

The council is expected to rule on the applicatio­n within weeks.

 ?? Picture: Leanne Bagnall ?? ‘DISGUSTED’: Neighbours against plans for a children’s home in Laburnum Grove, Blurton.
Picture: Leanne Bagnall ‘DISGUSTED’: Neighbours against plans for a children’s home in Laburnum Grove, Blurton.

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