Concern over number of children's home applications

The residents met at Braunstone Civic Centre with representatives of Blaby District Council also in attendance

Residents of a town say they have "more than our fair share" of children's homes after seven houses in a square mile were granted permission this year.

More than 130 people attended a meeting on Wednesday in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, to raise concerns with Blaby District Council, which approved the applications.

The separate planning permissions allow four domestic properties to be used as institutions for no more than three children, and three others for a maximum of two children.

Nick Brown, leader of Braunstone Town Council, said a balance needed to be struck between "environmental protections which people want for their own area and the needs to look after vulnerable children".

Nick Brown says he has raised the issue with the district council planning department

Mr Brown, who is also a Blaby District councillor, said the town council had been monitoring the situation and raising concerns for more than five years.

"We feel that we've had more than our fair share locally. And I've raised this issue specifically with the planning department," he said.

"It's so difficult because the law and the regulations are very restrictive about what the planning department can do.

"It can't throw them out on grounds of loss of house prices or the concerns about potential antisocial behaviour. Those are not planning grounds."

Mr Brown, 61, says he thinks the most important thing is that those running the homes are properly monitored and inspected.

"People need to remember that the children which have been taken into care are in care not because of anything the children have done, it's because their parents are unable to care for them themselves," he added.

He says one of the biggest concerns is people knowing who they can complain to about any issues that arise and that they are dealt with "swiftly and effectively".

Rachel Wilcox (left) and Diane Heggie (right) attended the meeting as residents of Braunstone Town

Diane Heggie, 67, was one of the concerned Braunstone Town residents at the meeting.

She said: "It's been one of those situations where properties are being bought and converted and it's gone under the radar.

"Nobody in the community is against children's home.

"They recognise vulnerable children have got to go somewhere.

"But in a residential area where you're taking houses from the housing market, which is already short of houses for people to live in and converting them, you don't go back once that has been done.

"And it then sets the precedent and it's the speed in which this has all been happening within a very small area."

Ms Heggie said once the plans are given permission by the district council, "there's nowhere to go".

"I think as residents, we feel very let down by our council," she added.

"It's all within a 10-minute walk to all of them. I'm just so surprised and scared.

"Where does it stop? How many are there going to actually let through?"

'Nobody was aware'

Rachel Wilcox, 57, said she found out about the planning applications through a friend, and set up a WhatsApp group as a result.

She said she spoke to people in the area and handed out leaflets in the area about the concerns.

"Nobody was aware of what was happening," she added.

Anyone wishing to run a children’s home must register with Ofsted before opening and must demonstrate they can meet the relevant legal requirements.

On the district council planning website, there are 11 applications that have been granted a change of use from residential to children's homes since October 2020 in Braunstone Town.

When a list of those 11 addresses was put to Ofsted, it confirmed only one was registered, but a spokesperson noted that it could not comment on homes that were in the process of registering.

Increased costs

Leicestershire County Council's average weekly cost for a residential place in the county is £6,000 and for children with complex needs that figure can rise to over £10,000 a week, which works out at more than half a million pounds a year.

The authority said potential placements were asked to show their registration information and their most recent Ofsted report and grading.

Deborah Taylor, cabinet member for children and families at the authority, said there was "a rising need" for accommodation for children in care.

"We acknowledge there is a lack of capacity in the market and that has led to increased costs charged by social care companies and put more pressure on council budgets," she added.

Braustone Town has 7,000 domestic homes and 19 properties that have permission for use as a residential institution.

Ben Taylor, district council portfolio holder for planning, said: "We can reassure residents that all applications are considered on their own merits and assessed against national and local policies."

“The planning process is a very emotive subject, and while we can understand the frustration from some, we can only refuse applications on planning grounds and have to balance community concerns with the need for homes."