Plans for Leamington children's home are thrown out due to concerns over management and noise

Members of Warwick District Council’s planning committee debated the four-bedroomed scheme for 264 Valley Road, Lillington, at their meeting last week
Latest news. Stock image.Latest news. Stock image.
Latest news. Stock image.

Potential noise problems and concerns over the future management of the facility have led to plans for the conversion of a Leamington house into a children’s home being thrown out.

One concerned councillor said the application was for the wrong house in the wrong place while another was so worried after looking at the applicant’s website that they said they wouldn’t let them look after his dog let alone a child.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Members of Warwick District Council’s planning committee debated the four-bedroomed scheme for 264 Valley Road, Lillington, at their meeting last week taking into account objections from Leamington Town Council, Warwickshire County Council, the ward councillor and more than ten neighbours.

Cllr Amanda Stevens, from the town council, raised two issues. She said: “The first is the absence of a robust management plan taking into account the welfare of the occupants and the need to avoid serious disruption to nearby residents. The site is a medium sized dwelling with an open plan frontage.

“There is [also] insufficient information about the number and type of vehicles using the drive. On-road parking on this section of Valley Road would be very undesirable - it is residential and busy at times and some cars go quite fast.”

Cllr Daniel Russell (Lib Dem, Leamington, Lillington) added: “I believe there is more than enough evidence to reject the applicant out of hand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Valley Road is predominantly residential and the near neighbours are naturally anxious and already suffering stress due to the application and lengthy ongoing process they have been subjected to over the past ten months.

“This is the wrong building in the wrong place and the application should be refused.”

Cllr Russell also referred to an objection from the county council’s people directorate who said there was no dining area, that one of the shower rooms was too small, and that the kitchen was very small and failed to provide sufficient space for children to develop independence skills.

Plans presented to the committee also failed to show any overnight accommodation for carers, prompting Cllr Bill Gifford (Lib Dem, Leamington Milverton) to question whether residents would be supervised at night.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cllr Terry Morris (Con, Warwick Saltisford) proposed that the application be turned down.

He said: “This is about where vulnerable kids will be homed and I’m struggling with this one. I’ve been looking at Companies House and I’ve been looking at the registered website of the applicant. Based on this website, I wouldn’t put an eight-year-old dog in this home let alone an eight-year-old child.

“The website has a mobile number as a point of contact and a reference to LinkedIn. It has no privacy policy and nothing around protecting special category personal data when dealing with vulnerable kids.

“I would like to propose that we refuse planning permission based on lack of amenity for future residents of the property, the impact on amenity of existing neighbours and the lack of a management plan prior to permission being granted.”

Planning officers had recommended approval but councillors were unanimous in rejecting it.