Children’s home plan is withdrawn after road’s residents tell of worries
PLANS for a new children’s care home in Chaddesden have stalled following concerns from residents.
Hertfordshire-based company 5ab Care submitted a planning application for a five-bedroom property on Chaddesden Park Road to be turned into a residential children’s home.
The care service wanted to use the house to provide accommodation for up to four children, with up to four staff working full time during the day. Documents indicated the children being cared for have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.
A planning statement from the company stated that “care would be given in a communal environment with the children and their carers sharing facilities in a manner akin to a family with no locks on bedroom doors”.
It said children would go to school during the day and the home would be registered with Ofsted. The aim of the house was for the children to have a setting “as practically possible to normal family life”.
But the plans were met with strong concern from nearby residents who had arranged a public meeting later this week and launched a petition.
One resident, who lives close to the proposed site, raised concerns to Derby City Council outlining his family’s concerns. He said: “Having worked with social services as a Foster carer for a number of years, I am more than aware of the amount of people that will be involved with supporting the children in this setting.
“There will be a multitude of social and support workers in addition to the two carers detailed in the application. This can only lead to more cars being parked on an already busy and increasingly congested road.
“I have four young grandchildren who regularly visit and stay. Having a property nearby to us that will potentially house some of the most damaged and challenging young people has to care for fills me with dread.”
A woman who did not wish to be named but has lived on the street for 30 years, said: “We are not bigots, and we don’t want to be portrayed that way. we understand that children need homes but we just want to protect our street. There could potentially be lots of trouble and anti-social behaviour and the people living here should not be subject to it. We don’t want our street spoiled.”
But on Monday, July 4, documents confirmed the application had been withdrawn. A letter from a 5ab Care director said: “Following on from your email I would like to withdraw this application, we’ll be in touch shortly thank you for feeding back to us.”
It is not clear whether the company will resubmit plans in the future.