Council overruled on children's home plans

A move to open a children's home that was twice turned down will now go ahead after councillors in Wolverhampton were overruled by the government's planning inspector.

The City of Wolverhampton Council had rejected two planning applications to convert the residential property in Redhouse Road, Tettenhall into a children's home for up to three children.

Councillors had said there was "no demonstrable need" for the children's home.

However, the inspector questioned this, saying figures presented to the appeal suggested it was "not evident" that the supply of children's homes in the aera was meeting local need.

Planning applications to convert the home were rejected in April and December last year before applicant Ernest Mandaza of Professional Healthcare Solutions made an appeal to the government's planning inspector in a bid to get the decision overturned.

The inspector, who has the power to overrule the council, said figures provided during the appeal showed that 88 children in care were housed 20 miles or more away from the city at the end of 2023 - including more than a dozen that lived in homes further than 100 miles away.

"The council states that there is not a demonstrable need locally for this use, but I have limited substantiated evidence to support this point nor that the need for such accommodation would not increase in the near future," the inspector said.

"Whilst I note that there are several private children's care homes in the city as well as some in the nearby area, it is not evident that these, alongside the council's own provision, are meeting its need."

The inspector said that moving children more than 20 miles away from friends, family and schools could result in them having "significantly lower wellbeing" than at home.

The inspector also disagreed with several neighbours who said the children's home would "threaten their safety", saying the plan would result in "no significant harm" given the number of staff present for the three vulnerable children.

When rejecting the second application last year, City of Wolverhampton Council's planners said the level of support for three looked after children would be "considerably different" to that of a family home - leading to more noise and disturbance.

The decision read: "The application would result in the loss of another family dwelling... in this area, and the council's children's services have also confirmed that there is not a demonstrable need for such accommodation in the city of Wolverhampton and have also advised there are already a number of children's homes in close proximity to the application site."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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