Plans for children's home set to be approved

Plans to turn a two-storey house in Telford into a small children's home have been recommended for approval.

The applicant, Turnstone Residential Ltd, wants to provide a home for up to three children between the ages of seven and 17 under the care of two full-time staff members and one manager.

Thirty eight objections to the scheme at a house in Admaston were lodged by the public, raising concerns about issues such as parking, staff rotas, crime and antisocial behaviour.

Planning officers have proposed approval be granted with conditions, however the outcome will be decided at a planning committee meeting on 4 February.

Planners said that concerns raised over the personal history of users, risk to safety of neighbouring properties and issues surrounding antisocial behaviour were "acknowledged" but were "not material planning considerations".

The applicant said the site would "mirror a typical family environment".

Wrockwardine Parish Council said it was an "inappropriate development in a residential area, would lead to an increase in traffic and have an adverse impact on the community with the potential for noise nuisance, irregular vehicle movement and disturbance when staff change shifts".

A Liberal Democrat councillor for Admaston and Bratton Kim Tonks said the site was on the corner of a busy junction and that she had concerns about traffic and parking.

However, planners said the site was already in residential use, so the principle of residential development was considered "appropriate".

Highways officials have advised planners that they are satisfied with the driveway and dropped kerb, and would provide a final report to the committee.

Telford and Wrekin Council's housing team said there was a need for the accommodation in the borough.

Officials added that the applicant would need to be Ofsted registered, but this was "not a material planning reason to warrant the refusal of this application".

Members of the public claimed that they had not been consulted, but planners said they were satisfied that all neighbours were formally consulted and the process had been "duly adhered to".

They concluded that there were considered to be "no principle or technical reasons to warrant refusal of this application, and appropriate conditions are imposed to control its future use and management".

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

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