Go ahead for children’s home for one youngster in Rotherham despite objections

A bungalow on Moor Lane in North Ravenfield will be converted to a children’s home for one child.

A report by planning officers states that that the property would be occupied by only one young person at a time up to the age of 18, and would be staffed 24/7 with a ratio of two staff to one child.

Case officer Lisa Brooks told yesterday’s (July 21) meeting of the planning board that seven objections had been submitted.

Resident Jean Angell told the meeting that her main concern was the “concentration of these sort of properties.”

Ms Brooks said that concerns had been raised about potential anti-social behaviour, but the child would be supervised 24 hours a day by trained staff.

“Primarily, [the objections] relate to an increase in parking and traffic issues in the area, the location close to a public house, and the perception that there are other homes of this nature in the immediate vicinity.

“The applicant has stated there will be a maximum of four staff at any one time at he property, and that will be limited to staff changeover times.

“In terms of concerns raised by residents and the parish council that there are a concentration of these types of uses within the immediate vicinity, the only similar use I can find on our system is at number 11.

“There are no planning policies which dictate that such uses shouldn’t be located close to one another – so essential, there are no limits that could be imposed in that respect.”

Councillor Robert Bird added that “if a ‘normal family’ bought that bungalow – a husband, wife, three kids – we wouldn’t even be here to talk about it.”

“There could be four or five cars on the drive and we wouldn’tbat an eyelid, because that would be normal.”

Chair of the meeting, councillor Alan Atkin said that “any family could move into this bungalow at any time.

Coun Atkin added that the property used to be a Post Office, and he was “sure there were quite a lot of vehicle comings and goings when it was a Post Office.”

The plans were approved with nine votes for and one against.