Children's home in Dudley will not need planning permission, operator told
Plans to convert a house into a children's home will not need planning permission, its operator has been told.
Wasim Iqbal, of the WS Project, wants to convert the three-bedroom semi-detached home in Paradise into a home for one child with learning disabilities, supervised by two carers and a manager.
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Adrian Rose, speaking on behalf of Mr Iqbal, said children would undergo a stringent risk assessments to ensure they integrated with the local community.
"This considers the home, the environment, the community, plus peer groups and risk assessments against each child as an individual prior to admission into the home," he said.
"The children will live at the property long term, hopefully for many years. This is not a halfway house or emergency housing for children."
Mr Rose said there would be little material difference between from the house's present use as a conventional dwelling.
"Normally, a change between these uses would require planning permission," said Mr Rose.
"However, the applicants consider that, in this instance, there would be no material difference in planning terms between the uses, and as such, they consider that planning permission would not be required as no material change would occur."
Mr Rose said one child would live at the property on a medium- to long-term basis.
Care would be provided by two carers working on a 48-hour rota, sleeping overnight and providing care during the day, with a daytime carer attending daily.
A manager would visit on weekdays and would oversee the property.
"Six carers would rotate on a pattern of 48 hours on-site followed by 72 hours off," he said. "Except at changeover times, which last around 15–30 minutes, there would be no more than three staff present at any one time, with two carers overnight."
Carl Mellor, Dudley Council's head of planning, concluded that the scheme did not represent a material change of use.
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