Hyndburn children's care home firm faces double planning blow

Hyndburn borough’s planning committee on Wednesday has been urged to refuse the two planning applications by Edward Smethurst of Altham-based Prosperity Children's Services Ltd.

The first proposal is to turn a three-bedroom detached house at 30 Bluebell Way, Huncoat, into a children’s home providing accommodation for one child.

The second would convert a four-bedroomed detached property at 30 Epping Avenue, Altham, into a children’s home providing accommodation for one child.

In both cases, carers would attend on a rota/shift basis.

The two proposals, which are amended resubmissions of similar applications, have both generated objections from nearby residents on grounds including parking and anti-social behaviour.

Lancashire County Council has also objected to both schemes saying in each case: “There is not considered to be a local need for solo children's homes.

“Lancashire Children's Services has limited demand for such provision.

“Prosperity Children's Services already operate seven Ofsted registered children's homes in Lancashire but has never cared for a Lancashire child.

“If this planning application is approved, it is highly likely that the home will not be used for a Lancashire child and will, like all their other homes, be used to care for children from outside Lancashire.”

In the case of the Epping Avenue house, Altham Parish Council has also objected on grounds including: “The applicant/company already operates one of these services right next door at 28 Epping Avenue, Altham.

“The service operated by the applicant at 28 Epping Avenue was opened in September 2022 and, since this time, there have been numerous incidents/issues involving police incidents, absconsions, parking issues, damage to neighbours’ vehicles, resulting in the service being inspected by the regulator CQC (six times to present date), and, on one occasion, marking the service down from “good” to “requires improvement” and a second inspection resulting in temporarily suspending the service where it closed for a number of months.”

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A planning officer’s report on the application recommends the committee refuse the application on grounds including a failure to ‘to demonstrate a local need’ and that: “The proposed children’s care home is located within a residential area, adjacent to another similar care home on the same residential road.

“It would provide two off-street parking spaces, which would be insufficient to accommodate staff cars during the shift-change period, and cars of other persons visiting the premises, resulting in vehicles parking on the street and due to the narrow highway width likely parking partly on the footway.

On the Bluebell Way proposal, a planning officer’s report says: “There have also been two relevant planning appeal decisions for similar proposals at a nearby property.

“In relation to 49 Bluebell Way, an appeal was granted; at 7 Bluebell Way, an appeal was dismissed.”

It recommends refusal on the same grounds as the Altham plan.