Children’s home twice refused by Wolverhampton council will now go ahead

City of Wolverhampton Council had rejected two planning applications to convert the home in Redhouse Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton into a children’s home for up to three children.

But the government’s planning inspectors have now overruled the local authority, saying the move can go ahead.

This was despite the council saying there was “no demonstrable need” for the children’s home.

Planning applications to convert the home were rejected in April and December last year before applicant Ernest Mandaza of Professional Healthcare Solutions made an appeal to the government’s planning inspector in a bid to get the decision overturned.

The inspector, who has the power to overrule the council, said figures provided during the appeal showed that 88 children in care were housed 20 miles or more away from the city at the end of 2023 – including more than a dozen that lived in homes further than 100 miles away.

“The council states that there is not a demonstrable need locally for this use, but I have limited substantiated evidence to support this point nor that the need for such accommodation would not increase in the near future,” the inspector continued.

“Whilst I note that there are several private children’s care homes in the city as well as some in the nearby area, it is not evident that these, alongside the council’s own provision, are meeting its need.”

“It is not evident that there is such an oversupply of children’s care home accommodation in the area to justify withholding planning permission in the interest of preserving this single, family home.”

The inspector said that moving children more than 20 miles away from friends, family and schools could result in them having “significantly lower wellbeing” than at home.

The inspector disagreed with several neighbours who said the children’s home would “threaten their safety” saying the plan would result in “no significant harm” given the number of staff present for the three vulnerable children.

When rejecting the second application last year, City of Wolverhampton Council’s planners said the level of support for three looked after children would be “considerably different” to that of a family home – leading to more noise and disturbance.

The decision read: “The application would result in the loss of another family dwellinghouse in this area, and the council’s children’s services have also confirmed that there is not a demonstrable need for such accommodation in the city of Wolverhampton and have also advised there are already a number of children’s homes in close proximity to the application site.

“Therefore, the evidence of need for a children’s care home at this location has not been fully demonstrated to weigh against the loss of a family dwellinghouse.”