COUNCILLORS have approved plans for a children’s home.

An application proposing the change of use of a property in Sutton Leach, from a residential dwelling house to a children’s home for the care of up to two children, came before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

As recommended, it was approved subject to conditions.

Committee member Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron, who is the deputy council leader, said “the kids in these cases are never at fault, they are vulnerable kids that need to go somewhere”.

He added: “And my question is, if not here, where do we put them? Where do they go, what do we do with them? Where do we house them?

“Historically, that would have been in children’s homes. And I say it, not flippantly, but if you watch programmes like Tracy Beaker, it was very of its time, because that was where kids went, they went into children’s homes, lost in the system and came out of the system at some point.

“I would much rather they were housed in the community, or the community that they were from, living the same life as close as possible to any other kid on that street.

“And the idea that they’re any worse than any other kid is also incorrect, it’s a stereotype, it’s an assumption, and we wouldn’t accept that if it was against any other characteristic, whether that be race or disability, we would never tar everybody with that same brush.”

According to a report to the committee, the application site comprises a two-storey semi-detached property – and the property benefits from a front garden with private driveway, providing in-curtilage parking for one vehicle, “leading to a modest rear garden”.

It stated that the application proposes internal changes within the building to accommodate an open plan kitchen/dining area to the ground floor, whilst to the first floor the third bedroom would be used as an office.

“The office would be used by members of staff for administration purposes only associated with the children’s home,” it said.

“The property would provide a home for two young persons aged between 9 and 17 years.

“As the child approaches their 18th birthday, arrangements with other agencies will have been made for the transition to leave the home to other more appropriate care and accommodation.

“The property would be operated and managed by Master Quality Healthcare Services, an independent provider of care and support for vulnerable young people.”

The report also said that there would be two members of staff present for the majority of the time in the day or night, working on a 12-hour rota, with staff changes taking place between 8am for the day shift and 8pm for the night shift.

Furthermore, there would be a one-hour “change over period”, during which four members of staff would be present on site.

Meanwhile, there would be additional care assistants attending the property and visitors from family members and other healthcare professionals – and any staff remaining on site after 8pm “would stay overnight, remaining awake during their shift”.

The application had been advertised with neighbouring notification letters, and a site notice.

Two households raised objections as a result of the public consultation.

The reasons for these objections, as summarised in the report, included security for existing residents, privacy issues, and impact on house prices.

In the report, it said the principle of development is considered acceptable and in accordance with the NPPF, and the St Helens Borough Local Plan.

It added: “The proposal is considered to be in accordance with the general aims and objectives of Local Plan Policies, which include general support for the provision of specialist and supported housing.

“The amenity impact of the change of use is considered acceptable, and no serve impact is considered to be created to highway network from the proposed application.”