Converted children’s care home must cease operations
PLANNING PERMISSION REFUSED
A MANSFIELD house which was converted for use as a children’s care home without planning permission must cease operations.
Mansfield District Council’s planning committee refused retrospective permission for the home, off Eakring Road, at a meeting on Monday.
The application came after council officers found Greenline Healthcare Group had converted the home without legal permission. The organisation had planned no internal or external changes but wanted to use the building to support up to two children aged between 10 and 17.
However, concerns from residents about noise already coming from the home were voiced during consultations on the authority’s planning portal.
Some residents said “disturbing” sounds could be heard coming from the building and that they were preventing their own children from playing outside.
Others criticised the applicant for converting the home without legally seeking planning consent first and urged council planners to refuse the application.
After a long debate at the Civic Centre, the planning committee agreed and refused the plans following an initially split vote.
Five votes were cast for the application and five against, with one abstention. Councillor Bill Drewett (Mansfield Independents), chairman of the committee, used his power as chairman to cast the deciding vote to turn down the plans.
It came after residents told councillors about some of the impact the home has already had on their “relatively quiet family area”.
Sherryl Adamson, a spokeswoman for the residents, has lived on the estate for nearly 20 years. She told the meeting: “During the summer months, screams and shouting coming from the property are best described as disturbing. So much so that it’s no longer pleasant to sit in our back gardens without hearing wailing, which at times is constant.
“Many residents feel the same and even restrict children from playing in gardens because the noise is disturbing. It can happen at all times, day and night.
“We are not confident the assurances of the applicant, nor the planning conditions suggested by planners, will be sufficient to allow us to even return to a peaceful neighbourhood setting that we have enjoyed previously.”
Mercy Okorie, a spokeswoman for the applicant, also spoke in the meeting and urged councillors to approve the plans. She said: “We were not aware that planning permission was required to use the building as a children’s home. However, we wish to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
“This is a safe and secure family environment for children to help them recover from trauma or function with disabilities. This care home is reflective of the family environment with consistent rules to protect the children, as well as the residential amenity of neighbours.
“The children go through a robust assessment before they are placed into a suitable location to provide them with the best opportunity to become valued members of society. Two staff members are on duty at all times and the manager visits the home as and when required.”
But some members of the committee raised concerns and agreed with the issues raised by neighbouring homes. They opted to turn down the plans and not grant retrospective permission due to the impact on residential amenities – including noise and disturbance.
Councillor Martin Wright (Mansfield Independents), who represents the Holly ward, said: “Residential amenity is very important and it is to the 57 houses. I’d go as far as to propose we refuse or go against officer recommendations on the grounds of residential amenity.”
Councillor Drewett, the committee chairman added: “As chairman, I have the casting vote.
“In this instance, with the concern of certain members on residential amenities, I will go against the officer’s recommendation and refuse planning.”
The vote means alternative accommodation must be found for any children currently living at the property.