Tipton children’s homes approved despite pollution concerns
A move to convert two houses next to an industrial estate into residential homes has been approved despite concerns it would pose a higher risk of pollution for vulnerable children.
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The move would see the two four-bed homes in Barnfield Close, Tipton, which were built after getting the thumbs up from Sandwell Council in 2021, converted into a new residential care home for young people.
The homes would be used by four children aged between eight and 25 plus five staff. The number of bedrooms was reduced from four to three – and from six to four people – following discussions with Sandwell Council.
The number of parking spaces was also reduced to four.
During the meeting on April 2, Cllr Jenny Chidley said she was concerned by fumes from the nearby industrial estate would pose a risk for children under the care of the council.
“I don’t think it’s a suitable environment because it is right next door to all those lorries and that,” she said.
However, Cllr Liam Preece said the concerns over pollution were not strong enough to reject the application with Cllr Parbinder Kaur and Cllr Bob Piper agreeing. Cllr Preece he was unsure of the objection given that children could already live in the home and Cllr Piper said that concerns should have been raised in 2021 when the original homes were approved.
Cllr Chidley replied: “The issue is that if people buy the house they are choosing to live there but we are a council body and I would not feel happy having looked after children put in there where their health will obviously be affected. It will be detrimental to their health.
“I just don’t think it is suitable.”
The application to build the new homes was approved in 2021 despite concerns from the council’s public health department over the amount of noise coming from the nearby warehouses.
The council said it had already received complaints from residents in nearby William Barrows Way over the noise from lorries, forklifts and vehicle reverse alarms as well as workers dropping tyres on the yard.
Officers said building new homes was “incompatible” with the surrounding warehouses and would not support the plan.
The application was nevertheless approved by the council’s planners.
