Locals object to new children's home in Corby over swearing and loud music issues

People living on Corby's Exeter estate are fighting a plan to turn an terraced house into a children's home after witnessing what they say is unruly behaviour from the people already living there.

The owners of the the former family home in Croyde Avenue have applied for planning permission to turn the house into a small children's home.

It was originally granted consent to be used as a family assessment centre last year, but locals say that it's already being used as a children's home for one teen resident without permission and is causing them a litany of issues.

The plan states that the house would be used for two children who would have two full-time support workers on site with them at all times.

A report to Corby Council's development control committee states that the intention is to provide short, medium and long term care for children/young people aged between twelve and sixteen years of age who have experienced behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or breakdown in family life. The overall ethos of the project is to give children the opportunity for personal growth and development.

It is set to be run by the Northampton-based Woodbridge Family Centre, a private provider of family assessment units and children's services that was set up two years ago but has not yet been rated by the CQC.

A planning application has been submitted to Corby Council and will be considered by members of the development control committee tomorrow evening (Tuesday, August 4) . Officers have recommended that councillors approve the scheme.

Seven local people have objected to the scheme and Northamptonshire County Council says there is already a lack of parking on the site.

One local objector said: "The occupants .. at the moment are vile, abusive, rude and extremely loud with 'music' every single day.

"They call my elderly neighbours disgusting names when they are trying to enjoy their garden.

"How on earth can we live in this quiet row of houses where we all look out for each other and all get on, with these awful people living in our vicinity?"

Another person living nearby said: "We cannot sit outside in our back garden due to loud music and disgusting language.

"If this is one child that the carers don't seem to be able to control, what about numerous children?"

Homeowners living in the area have contacted MP Tom Pursglove to ask for his support.

Other objections include parking issues and an intensification of HMOs in the area.

In his report to councillors, planning officer Ian Lunn says: "The building will be permanently occupied and there have been complaints about there being excessive noise from it.

"However, it is contended that if this is occurring it is likely to be down to individual residents rather than because of the nature of the use itself as it does not follow that all uses of this nature and scale will automatically cause such problems.

"With this in mind, despite local residents concerns to the contrary, it is considered that a refusal of this application on noise nuisance grounds would be difficult to sustain in this instance. Environmental Health have been consulted on the application but have not raised any objections to it."

A statement from the applicant says: "We believe that looked after children should be offered the same choices, chances and opportunities as other children; and that we should work together with them and others involved in their care and welfare to diminish as far as possible the impact of their past experiences of rejection, abuse, neglect, exploitation and exclusion."

Corby Council has considered six applications for lawful development certificates and change of use for children's homes in the past eighteen months. Northamptonshire County Council is responsible for caring for vulnerable children in the county and, in 2018 the authority spent £23m on housing run by outside agencies for 124 looked-after children. It looked after just 15 of the 1,118 total number in care in homes it runs itself.

Children's services in the county have come under heavy fire from Ofsted inspectors in recent years, with a report this time last year judging the department to be inadequate, saying it had left highly vulnerable children in care who are living in unregulated placements that are unsafe and unsuitable.