Plan for children's home refused over parking space

Plans to convert a bungalow into a residential care home for up to two children have been refused by a council.

The applicant, Ideal Social Care Group, said the property in Desborough Avenue, Peterborough, would serve as the long-term home for up to two children with mild to moderate learning disability and mental health needs.

The plans included a visitor parking space and three staff parking spaces for up to six members of staff proposed for the site.

Peterborough City Council's planning officers rejected the proposal citing the applicant failed to provide adequate facilities for parking or turning of vehicles on site, located in a cul-de-sac in Stanground.

The applicant said the proposal would help meet the demands for specialist housing in the city.

In the planning statement, Ideal Social Care Group added the detached property with a rear garden would provide suitable accommodation for two children as well as staff required, including appropriately sized bedrooms, living area, kitchen, bathroom facilities and outdoor amenity space.

On the parking provisions, the applicant said staff would be encouraged to use car-share, public transport or walk to work.

Peterborough Highways Services and Chris Harper, a Peterborough First councillor for Stanground South, objected to the proposal over a "lack of parking".

The application received 29 objections in total including concerns over the location and the size of the site.

The planning officers said the amended site plan shows parking spaces for only three on-site staff, which would fall below both the minimum requirement of four spaces and the maximum standard of eight spaces plus one visitor space.

They said this shortfall would create operational issues, particularly during shift changes, when adequate parking and turning and maneuvering space was needed for safe vehicle movement.

The officers concluded the site could not accommodate the parking necessary to support the proposed use.

The applicant has six months to appeal the decision.

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.