Plans to open children's care home in quiet Northampton cul-de-sac set for approval – despite 76 objections

Proposals to convert a family home in Duston into a residential care home for children is set to be approved by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) next week.

The application, submitted by a Neil Verlander, seeks to change the use of the property in Blossac Court from a family home to a residential institution that would care for three children aged five to 18.

In planning papers, Mr Verlander said: “We will work collaboratively with local authorities to provide residential care and support to some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our society. Some of our residents may have previously been exposed to traumatic experiences and may be dealing with associated challenges.

"Our home and services will be nurturing, warm and welcoming, with a staff team that are trained and committed to delivering nothing less than ‘outstanding’ care 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

"Our approach will allow our young people to be cared for in a loving, family-style environment.”

However, 76 residents have objected to the plans, arguing that a quiet residential cul-de-sac is not a suitable location for a care home. They raised concerns about increased traffic, parking issues, noise, and the potential impact on house prices.

One resident wrote: “I object to this application on the grounds that this is in a residential area and the occupants would not have wished to live next to a children’s home. These applications are a cop out by WNC who are fulfilling these statutory obligations by allowing companies to buy or rent properties and then charge the council exorbitant sums of money. The applicants do not pay business rates or commercial waste disposal.

"Unsocial behaviour is a great possibility when social workers are in charge as the occupants may not comply with authority. Noise will also be a problem. The parking at the premises is insufficient.

"I object. Keep residential streets residential and protect householders.”

Another objector said: “I object to this happening in a quiet residential area, this will cause chaos for the neighbours. This needs to be better thought out, it's not the right place to put troubled young adults.”

Another added: “A project like this will ruin the area that many of us have spent our entire lives trying to build towards being able to live in.”

In its report, WNC acknowledged these concerns but concluded the proposal was acceptable.

A WNC spokesman said: “Objections have been raised in relation to the perceived risk to surrounding residents and the increase in anti-social behaviour that would arise due to the change of use. Due to the regulations and procedures that care homes must operate within to run then more control and supervision would be carried out on the residents of the care home when compared to a family dwelling. If issues did occur arising from the residents of the care home then channels are in place to deal with matters through the management of the care home and Ofsted.”

The application will be reviewed by the West Northamptonshire planning committee on Thursday (June 5), with officers recommending that permission be granted.