Planning inspector rejects plans to keep two unauthorised care homes open in Wolverhampton

Two homes in Merridale Street West, Wolverhampton, were converted into care homes for up to four children and adults aged between eight and 25-years-old without permission from City of Wolverhampton Council.

The local authority rejected retrospective applications that would have allowed the care homes to remain, saying the unauthorised care homes had already “generated disruptive noise, instances of anti-social behaviour and police attendance.”

The applicant Double 8 Care Ltd then appealed the decision to the government’s planning inspectorate in a bid to get the decision overturned.

However, the planning inspector sided with the council saying it had provided figures that showed there was no demand for small children’s care homes in Wolverhampton but an increasing need for family homes – which had been lost as part of the proposals.

In a report outlining the decision, planning inspector Alexander O’Doherty said: “The council’s children’s services have stated that there is a sufficient supply of premises to meet planned and future need for children’s care homes in Wolverhampton.

“Specifically, the amount of private children’s homes in the local area, alongside the council’s own provision, is meeting the need in this neighbourhood.

“As well as not meeting an identified need, the development has effectively removed a four-bedroom house from potential occupation by a family in the local community.

“Whilst at the time of my site visit Merridale Street West had the appearance of a quiet residential street, local residents have described frequent police attendance and verbal altercations escalating into aggressive confrontations.

“West Midlands Police have corroborated the concerns of local residents.”

City of Wolverhampton Council’s planners rejected the applications in October last year saying the unauthorised care homes had already “generated disruptive noise, instances of anti-social behaviour and police attendance” that had “increased the local fear of crime, made residents feel unsafe [and] undermined community cohesion” according to neighbours.

“The children who would be accommodated […] may have a variety of learning difficulties and may be sufferers of past abuse.

“Subsequently, children in the care system often struggle with emotional regulation, resulting in noisy behavioural outbursts of a higher-than-average frequency compared to a child outside of the care system.

“Furthermore, the broad age range of eight to 25, presents a spectrum of developmental milestones, each coming with their own unique challenges that require careful navigation by care staff.

“However, the lack of Ofsted regulation, provides no assurance that the management or care workers employed by Double 8 Care Limited are suitably qualified to meet these challenges and control the behaviour of the children.”

The council’s planners added the lack of soundproofing in both homes would lead to “harmful levels of noise.”

The council said the number of people using the two care homes and the lack of available parking spaces in the narrow Merridale Street West would become a “further source of tension.”

“Due to the proposed employment demands, shift patterns, visits from external workers and family members, alongside day-to-day trips for the children; this use would generate a high frequency of comings and goings.

“The volume and frequency of trips would exceed the level usually expected of a house of this size, indicative of a commercial use, which would not be in-keeping.”

City of Wolverhampton Council approved separate plans to build one and then two homes on the plot of land in Merridale Street West in 2022.