Plan to convert a residential house to a children's home sparks controversy in Healing

                                          

The Healing property at the centre of the rumpus

PLANS for a four-bedroomed  Healing house to be converted to a children's home have sparked objections  from neighbours.

The proposal is for 3 Buddleia Close in the village to provide a loving home for up three children at a time.

Says the application, which has been submitted by North East Lincolnshire Council: "There are insufficient homes within the borough to enable all children in care to remain within their local area, so many have to live at a distance from their local support networks.  

"This is costly in many ways and has a proven negative impact on the young people themselves as they navigate adolescence and become young adults.  

"Establishing this property as a children’s home is thus part of the council’s wider strategy to provide sufficient local homes for children in its care. 

"The property will become a home for up to three children in care, with adult carers on-site 24 hours a day."  

However, residents of at least four neighbouring properties fear such a change of use could lead to loss of parking space and a reduction in value of their own properties.

One resident of The Avenue has written thus to North East Lincolnshire Council's planning department: 

"Changing this ordinary residential dwelling into a children's home for children with  additional needs is  unsuitable. 

"These additional needs will mean emergency services, caseworkers and  healthcare professionals will all need to access the site at a far higher rate than the  occupants of a normal residential dwelling putting strain on parking.

"It will also mean increased noise and visual pollution for the  immediate neighbours who will have to put up with late-night emergency service call-outs and  potential antisocial behaviour from the children, thereby impacting the lives of all others who live near the property.

 "These children would be better off in a dedicated built-for-purpose children's home with  proper overnight facilities for the carers, ample parking and where they can make as much noise as they like without being  a burden on neighbours."

The application is likely to be determined later this summer.