East Lancs kids' home concerns echoed by government minister

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy spoke about the issue when she visited a breakfast club at Balladen Community Primary School in Rawtenstall with Rossendale and Darwen MP Andy MacNae on Tuesday.

The growing number of applications for such conversions was first highlighted in August 2022 by then deputy chair of Hyndburn Council's planning committee Cllr Judith Addison, who said there was 'a mushrooming industry' of such conversions.

In the last few days there have been two more such planning applications in Hyndburn borough which is in the process of adopting a Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document on the issue.

One from Blackburn-based Thrive Residential Care Ltd is for Fountain Street, Accrington, and the other by Prosperity Children's Services Ltd is the firm's second proposal to convert a house in Bluebell Way, Huncoat.

Lisa Nandy and Andy MacNae in Rawtenstall Blackburn with Darwen Council, which does have an adopted relevant SPG, has also seen many such applications and earlier this month rejected permission for a similar proposal in Fore Street, Lower Darwen.

Other boroughs across East Lancashire have also seen a number of these applications submitted in recent months.

The latest figures show that a quarter of all children’s homes in England, 875, are in the North-West.

Tackled on the issue on her visit to Rawtenstall, Wigan MP Miss Nandy said: "Our absolute priority is that the right provision is there for young people where they need it and as close to home as possible.

Another attempt has been made to turn this home, in Bluebell Way, Huncoat, into a children's care home "Before coming into Parliament, I worked with children in care at the Children's Society and before there at Centrepoint.

"I know from my own experience in Wigan, where you have lots of applications, not just children's homes, but drug addiction clinics and homeless shelters, if you have them all concentrated in one area, it can put real strain on the community.

"By putting the child at the centre of the decision that we make, so provision is available in the right form closer to home, we are very confident we can ease pressure on communities and do the right thing by children.

"By putting the child at the centre, we are able to support communities as well."

Mr MacNae added: "It is an individualised approach and recognising every child is different and rather than one size fits all, it is more about how you can build support around that child.

"You have to understand the area and align the approach to the area as well."