Tougher rules on children's home planning bids

Planning permission to convert residential properties in a Lancashire city into children's homes will, from now on, only typically be granted if there is a "genuine" need for the facility to support local children.

New guidance has been put in place by Preston City Council after a surge in the number of applications to repurpose houses as privately-run children's homes.

Ninety such proposals were approved between January 2024 and August this year, compared with 14 across 2022 and 2023 combined.

As well as having to demonstrate the requirement for a home, full planning permission will generally be required for future conversions.

Previously, the granting of a "lawful-use certificate" had been deemed sufficient, meaning the usual, more comprehensive, planning assessment process was bypassed - as has been the case with the majority of children's homes approved in Preston since 2024.

But at a recent meeting, cabinet members agreed to adopt a "planning advisory note" (PAN) containing the new recommendations.

It comes after figures showed Preston had 62 registered children's homes in March 2026, the second highest number in the county behind neighbouring Fylde, which had 65.

That statistic is set against the backdrop of Lancashire, as a whole, having more children's residential facilities than any other part of the country – over 280 in April 2024 – three-quarters of which are looking after youngsters solely from beyond the county's borders, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Lancashire County Council (LCC), which is responsible for children's services, said there are five times more agency-run children's homes in its patch than needed locally.

As a result, the authority said it would no longer support any planning applications for that type of facility "unless the provider is working in genuine partnership with [the county council] to create an agreed, bespoke home to meet a very specific complex need for a Lancashire child [or children]".

If that criteria is not met, the city council's new PAN means planning permission is "unlikely" to be granted for the conversion of a house to a children's home in Preston, it warned.

In response to a question on the policy change at a meeting of the full council last week, cabinet member for planning and regulation, Amber Afzal, said the aim was to avoid unnecessarily adding to the "existing concentration" of children's accommodation in the city which can "place pressure on schools, health services, policing, and [the children's home] workforce".

The Labour councillor said: "The council will continue to support appropriate proposals…where there is clear evidence they meet an identified need and are suitable in planning terms.

"Far from creating a barrier, the guidance aims to ensure that new provision delivers better outcomes for vulnerable children by helping to secure homes that are needed locally, are appropriately managed, and are located where residents can access the services and support they require."

The city council said there are 48 children's homes with planning approval that are not yet Ofsted registered. If all of those facilities open, it would take the total number in Preston to 110.

LCC is in the process of developing 29 of its own in-house children's homes in order to reduce reliance on agency provision and reduce costs.

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