Plans approved for children's home in Sheffield suburb despite numerous objections

Plans to convert a house on Bishopdale Rise in Mosborough into a home for three children and one staff member prompted an 81-name petition plus objections from 65 residents, local councillor Tony Downing and Clive Betts MP.

Residents’ spokesman Malcolm Lilley said the estate had serious traffic and parking problems and the fire service had posted notices asking drivers to park considerately because emergency vehicles were struggling to get through.

He told the planning committee: “This site is in the heart of the estate on its only access road and the notices by the fire service are clearly significant.

“The notices are because of the closeness of the properties, the narrowness of the road, and the high number of vehicles that make this the pinch point and problem for all residents driving in and out of the estate, including an ambulance delayed in responding once to an emergency call.

“This is not a typical family home. The number of staff, visitors and off site visits for each child would mean a greater level of activity and movement then for a typical family.”

Coun Peter Price said if it was a family house, it would still have cars parked outside.

“The days of big children’s institutions have gone, we’ve a long established policy of trying to move them into communities.

“Most of the children’s homes we use are operated by the private sector and you can call them a business but they are caring for children in the greatest need.

“We’ve got to offer these kids the nearest we can to normality, to put them into an nice estate where they can begin to relax.

“Wherever we have done this we have had similar problems raised by communities and everything’s gone smoothly in the end.”

Councillors Peter Garbutt, Jayne Dunn, Alan Law, Andrew Sangar, Peter Price and Bob McCann voted in favour. Councillors Roger Davison, Dianne Hurst, Jack Clarkson and Tony Damms voted against. Councillors Chris Rosling-Josephs and Zahira Naz abstained.