Children’s home plan for village is refused
CHILDREN’S home plan has been rejected by planning officers.
Milhaven Children’s Care Homes wanted to turn a residential house in Glenfield into a home for up to three children or young people, two resident carers and one home manager.
Planning documents show the company wanted up to six people to live together as a single household at the property, with the young people aged eight to 18 receiving short or long-term care.
It noted in its application that the last tenant of the property comprised a family of six children and two adults.
Blaby District Council refused the application for the property, in Stelle Way, pictured, because it did “not consider, on the basis of the evidence supplied, that the care workers would be resident at the property or that the children would be capable of fully forming a household by themselves”, meaning the application does not comply with the law.
Milhaven Children’s Care Homes said the aim of the home was to look
after local young people from a “trauma background” and provide them with a family setting.
The young people would prepare food and share meals together, it added.
The planning application stated that the home would see the children being in a “group living environment”, to prepare them for when they left the care system.
The applicant said there would be two staff members on site 24/7, plus one manager on site from 9am to 5pm.
An elderly resident who lives near the site got in touch with the MerA cury about the application.
They said: “I, along with other neighbours, are extremely concerned to learn recently that planning consent has been applied for at Blaby District Council to convert one of the seven houses in our very small close into a children’s home.
“The proposal is for it to accommodate three children with trauma, plus a manager and carers on shift systems.
“The extra traffic and noise would have a serious impact upon our very quiet and peaceful community where we have lived for the last 24 years and is already causing us a large amount of stress and anxiety.
“It will also have a considerable negative effect upon any prospective resale of the neighbouring properties.
“Our close has a very narrow entrance-way leading down to a small turning circle which needs to be kept clear at all times.
“There is absolutely no room for parking the extra vehicles that the staff would need in order to come to work and the disruption that will be created, especially as other agencies will also need to visit on a regular basis.
“We are extremely surprised that anyone would wish to locate such a home in a small close occupied predominantly by retired and semiretired couples, especially as there are no schools or children’s facilities in the vicinity or even nearby within reasonable walking distance”.
Two objections to the scheme were submitted to the council.
Another children’s home planned for the village of Redmile in Melton was refused by Melton Borough Council earlier this month after residents spoke of anti-social behaviour linked to two homes already there.