Children's home to open in Swindon without planning permission

The decision by Swindon Borough Council allows Cannon Children Services to change a family property in Haydon End.

The council issued a Certificate of Lawfulness for the change of use from a dwelling house to a residential children's home, stating the proposed use does not require planning permission.

The children's home will operate with a small team of professional staff working 24 to 36-hour shifts, with a maximum of three staff members on site at any time.

The property will continue to function similarly to a family home, with no significant alterations to its external appearance or use of internal space.

The property, a two-storey, three-bedroom house with one external parking space, is situated in a residential area.

The council's decision was based on the fact that the property could accommodate a typical family unit and could be lawfully occupied as a small house in multiple occupation (HMO) without requiring any extensions or alterations.

In the planning statement, TZ Town Planners Ltd, acting on behalf of Cannon Children Services, emphasised that "a children's care home should feel like a "home" and not an institution."

The statement highlighted that the child would have a normal daily routine as expected in any family home, including attending school and engaging with activities inside and outside the home.

The proposed operation of the property as a children's home includes one child and a maximum of three adult carers per shift, who will be present at the property all day and night, working in a shift pattern.

The council also considered the impact of the proposed use on parking, noting that the majority of the time, there would be two staff present, which would not have a major impact on parking above that expected from a typical family home of this size.

The issuing of the Lawful Development Certificate relates only to the specific state of affairs described in the application.

The certificate does not constitute a blanket authorisation for the use of the property as a children's care home for an indefinite period of time.

If the dwelling is used in a manner that differs from that outlined in the certificate in the future, the certificate will not cover that use, and that change may require planning permission.

Cannon Children Services has acquired the property with a view to its intended use as a children's home.

"From the outside, the nature of the activity would appear to be that of a regular family home," reads the planning statement.

"The property will not be used to provide short-term care for children on an emergency or transitory basis.

"The nature of the operation is to provide the child who resides at the property with a home environment for a number of years, depending on their age and specific circumstances, before transitioning to adulthood at the age of 18."