Plans to open a private children’s home in Sefton have been refused after the council said there were too many already in the area.
The application to convert a three bedroom house at 144 Deyes Lane in Maghull from a residential property to children’s home was submitted to Sefton Council in June.
It followed an earlier failed attempt by the company, Nova1 Care Services, to secure a certificate of lawful development from the council, which would have meant planning permission was not required.
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According to documents submitted on behalf of the applicant, the plans would involve opening a children’s home for two children between the ages of seven and 17 who would live at the home with the support from carers.
A business plan submitted as part of the application said the company aimed at “improving the quality of our practise and delivering ‘outstanding’ services for children and young people in our area is the key priority.
It added: “In order to thrive we need the practise to make an impact and then continue to grow and develop. Our business plan set out our ambitions to develop and take on three to four children at any one time”
The company said the service should be approved as it met a “critical need” for young people and that the children’s home would operate like any other residential home, with the same levels of comings and goings as other houses in the area.
However, a representative from Sefton Council children’s services said there was an over-saturation of such homes, with at least 220 young people from outside Sefton already placed in dozens of private children’s homes in the borough.
The children’s services representative also stated that the presence of such private homes are “costly for social care and other agencies” – citing the risk of children going missing or ending up being exploited as a key issue.
Nine objections were also received from local residents, with one person saying they were “vehemently” opposed to the plans, adding: “This is a residential area and we wish it to remain as such.”
Another said they were believed the house would be “too small for a group of kids” while others expressed concerns around possible noise and antisocial behaviour issues impacting on those living close to the property.
The plans were refused by Sefton Council last week with an officer report stating that, if accepted, the proposals would “contribute to and exacerbate an over supply of children’s homes within Sefton.”
The report also cited a lack of information from the applicant showing neighbouring properties wouldn’t be affected by noise issues from the home as the other reason behind the council’s refusal.
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