Plans could see Wellingborough house turned into a children's home

Plans for a proposed change of use from a dwelling to a children's home in Wellingborough have been submitted.

The application relates to a three-bedroom property in Cotswold Drive and is for a change of use from a C3 dwelling to a children's home for up to two children (C2).

A statement submitted by the applicant Nyarai Reuben as part of the application says: "It is proposed that this property will provide the children with a family home where there are responsible individuals 24/7 (support workers, who will be on a rolling rota) who will look after the children and support them to live a normal family life.

"Those staff will be supervised by a registered Ofsted manager with experience in Looked After Children management.

"There will be a maximum of two staff on duty at the property at any one time during the day, and maximum one staff during the night as required by Ofsted.

"The duty manager will also be on duty during the day 9am -5pm.

"There will be no staff living at the property but they will be on duty 24/7 on a rota.

"The children who will be looked after at this property are children who the Local Authority would have decided that the child cannot live with their parent(s).

"For various reasons it can be difficult for the child to be placed with a foster parent as the placement might have broken down, or the protection of children from abuse for their own safety or there may be the child might have no family capable to look after them and no availability places with foster parents.

"A bedroom has been provided for sleeping accommodation for the carers on night duty who will look after the children.

"The children will be looked after in this property as their home and they will be living as a single-family unit, like any other family within this location."

The property is a detached two storey three-bedroom house with a front and rear garden, a garage and a driveway.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application concludes by saying: "We consider that this application would not cause any issues to the current property or its neighbourhood.

"It is proposed to have a maximum of two children aged between five and 18 years of age, and 2no. number of staff to be present at any one time at the property.

"The use, as explained within the accompanying statement provided by the applicant, will not be much different from that of any standard family occupying this sized property.

"The proposals will contribute to the requirement of the Local Authority to meet the specialist housing needs within the council and the proposed use will not have any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area, neighbour amenity or parking and highway safety, and is therefore, in conformity with the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant planning Policies."

For more details about the application, which will be considered by Wellingborough Council, search for WP/20/00858/FUL on the planning page of the authority's website.

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