A plan to convert a property on Lovely Lane, Warrington, into a Children’s Home has been rejected by town planners.
While some elements of the proposed change of use to a care home would be acceptable, given the location of the two-storey detached building dating from 1882, the restricted nature of the parking provision, and the unknown nature of the proposed operation, it is considered that the proposal would result in unacceptable and detrimental impacts associated with parking which would affect the residential amenity of the area and the free flow of traffic on the highway.
The property is a family home and is not a listed building and is not located in a conservation area. The dwelling is set back from the main Highway and has a good-sized front garden with pedestrian access. The area, however, features a highly dense setting of terraced dwellings around the site with varying frontages.
The dwelling is in a sustainable location situated a short walk from the Warrington Hospital, St Barnabas C of E Primary School to the east and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School to the south.
The home would provide 24-hour (365 days a year) supervised care and accommodation for a maximum of 3 cared for children aged between 8-18 years. The home will be registered and inspected by OFSTED and provide young adults with emotional and behavioural difficulties with residential care. it would be run by qualified support workers in a set of two overnight staff members on a
24-hour shift. The Care Providers would not be permanently residing at the property. There are three off-road parking spaces proposed out of which two would be used by the staff between 7am – 10 pm and a third space would be reserved for daily commuting (transporting children to and from school/activities).
The application on behalf of Bright Futures was supported by a Supporting Statement (Management Plan) as is required by the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 to operate a Children’s Home, and which includes details of how the home will be run and managed. The Statement highlighted that the home is to provide a stimulating, nurturing home, where young people can feel comfortable and safe.
There are no external changes proposed to the property.
The children’s home would consist of – a living room conversion into an office with the existing communal areas including lounge, kitchen with WC/shower and plant room on the ground floor.
Three separate bedrooms for each child and one room for the members of staff to sleep over at night at the first floor with a shared bathroom.
The loft room would be used by the staff member. The children would stay at the property until they are 18 years of age and they will then move on to semi -independent support once they turn 18 years old: sometimes just before their 18th birthday. The children will receive support in school, shopping and nurturing them in both home and family settings. The care will not include any
medical nor any treatment on site.
But Warrington Borough Council planning officers said there was concern that the location and the layout of the existing parking provision, the restricted nature of the alleyway and the tortuous maneuvering to access the spaces will result in detriment to the local highway network. Whilst there is an adequate quantum of on-site parking provision, when shift change overs do occur, there is significant concern that the staff members will not be able to utilise the on-site parking provision due to its restricted positioning. The nature of shift changeovers means that there will be a period of handover. This is likely to result in a period of time, likely to be at least 10 minutes, where both rotas will need to be on site. This is likely to mean that the incoming staff members will have to find an alternative space off-site. When the outgoing staff members leave, it is considered unlikely that the incoming staff members will relocate their vehicles to site. Whilst the quantum of vehicle parking requirements is likely to be similar to that of a dwelling, the pattern of vehicle movements will be different and detrimental as it is likely to result in the users of the site occupying spaces off-site.
The site is also surrounded by existing residential properties that have little or no off-street parking spaces. There are TROs in place to the Lovely Lane frontage and at least 17m into the junction of the nearby residential roads. This limits the availabity of off-street parking for the proposed development and will result in the displacement of parking provision for the nearby residents and the increased level of on-street parking congestion which will lead to parking congestion to the detriment of the free flow of traffic and, ultimately, highway safety.
The application was refused under delegated powers.
