Planners reject scheme to turn house in Telford cul-de-sac into children’s home
Planners have refused a scheme to turn a house in Telford into a residential home for two children, after it attracted objections from the neighbours.
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Applicant Lovemark Care Limited had told planners that the house in Teagues Crescent, Trench, would provide space for two vulnerable children.
Neighbours objected on various grounds, including traffic, and said they feared that their own children and grandchildren would subjected to anti-social behaviour. A social worker sent in a letter supporting one family’s concerns.
Oakengates Town Council had asked for the issue to be decided at a meeting of the borough council planning committee because residents had concerns about parking in “what is already a problem area adjacent to a junction or parking in the cul-de-sac next to this property blocking driveways".
The borough’s highways department concluded that it supported the plans because “the entire front garden has been block paved and is large enough to accommodate the parking of three spaces generated by the proposal".
But Telford & Wrekin Council’s own Children’s Safeguarding and Family Support section said the application is “quite confusing” and did not “clearly state the needs of the young person(s)".
Planners in their decision notice said the proposal is “not supported by the council’s Specialist Housing Team” and the applicant has not responded to a request for confirmation that it has taken the council’s Market Position Statement (MPS) into account.
The planners said that plans show that only bedrooms are being provided for the two young people with none for the two carers.
“For these reasons, it is considered that the proposal, by virtue of the size of the property, is not capable of being designed to meet the needs of its residents,” planners stated.
“The council’s Children’s Safeguarding and Family Support Team advise that such an arrangement would not pass Ofsted regulations.
“If a proposal is not deliverable, it cannot be considered to be sustainable. This would be contrary to policy SP4 of the local plan.
They added that “the scale of development is excessive for the property” and represents overdevelopment of the site.
Lovemark Care has been told that “by virtue of the lack of bedrooms provided for overnight carers, the proposal has failed to demonstrate the property is of a size and scale that is capable of being appropriately adapted for the proposed use".
