Plans for new Barnsley children’s home refused over ‘noise and disturbance’ concerns

The applicant sought permission to change the use of the home on Wood Walk from a dwelling-house to a care home for four children with ‘mild emotional, learning, and physical disabilities’.

The proposed home would care for youngsters aged six to 18, 24 hours a day, ‘until a permanent foster carer is found’.

The application states that the home would accommodate up to four children and two staff members at any one time, with care provided 24 hours per day on a shift pattern.

The applicants have stated the aim of the home would be to ‘provide care, education, and skills in a safe and homely environment’, and youngsters would be able to ‘maintain their education and training provisions’, and ‘maintain contact with significant family members, where appropriate’.

However, 14 objections were received by the planning board, on the grounds of increased noise and disturbance, ‘increased pressure’ on parking, ‘potential antisocial behaviour’, and ‘safety concerns for existing residents’.

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A report by planning officers state the conversion of the four-bed property would be contrary to the council’s policy, ‘which seeks to resist the loss of existing larger homes given the conversion or loss of these properties is contributing to the imbalance in the housing stock’.

It adds that ‘noise and disturbance’ at staff handover times ‘would be above and beyond what would reasonably be expected from a residential property of this size’.

The report also states that ‘no justification of the need for the facility in the borough has been provided’.

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It said: “There are concerns regarding the disproportionate and high number of children in care placed in the Barnsley borough from neighbouring authorities which obviously puts additional strain on local services.”

Permission for the plans was refused on February 9.