Peterborough children’s care home plan refused after objections from neighbours
It is the second time that the applicant has been refused planning permission
Plans to convert a residential house into a children’s care home in Peterborough have been refused for the second time.
Last year, the applicant 24/7 Support UK Limited proposed to convert 4 Swift Close, Hampton Vale, into a care facility for up to two children aged between four and 17.
These plans were refused by Peterborough City Council in August due to poor parking provision.
The authority said the proposal would result in an “unacceptable level of impact on highway safety”.
24/7 Support UK Limited, which is a crisis intervention service for children in residential care, resubmitted the plans in December, claiming to have addressed the parking issues.
They claimed that the initial application overestimated the number of staff needed at the property at any one time, and that three parking spaces would be needed instead of the four originally proposed.
However, the resubmitted plans received more than 30 written objections from neighbours and ward councillor Chris Wiggin.
The reasons included concerns around parking, loss of privacy, risk of anti-social behaviour and crime, noise, and suitability of the location.
Hampton Parish Council also objected to the proposal, arguing that it would result in an “unacceptable increase in cars parked on the public highway”.
One resident wrote: “Swift Close is a quiet place to live, and many of us moved here for that reason. Not only Swift Close, but the roads and residents surrounding it will also be affected.
“Many of us have young children, grandchildren, pets, etc, and find it a safe place for them to be. If this were to go ahead, it would make it unsafe with the increase of vehicles coming back and forth. It will also disrupt our private parking.”
Refusing the application, Peterborough City Council planners wrote: “The proposed development provides an unusable and insufficient parking arrangement for this type of commercial use, therefore resulting in unacceptable parking provision for the proposed use.
“Further, given the constraints within this area of Hampton Vale, in terms of the carriageway width and limited off street parking for existing residents and visitors, the street cannot accommodate any additional parking burden.
“The proposal results in a clear intensification which would result in an unacceptable level of impact on highway safety due to the increase in vehicles needing to access the site on a daily basis.
“The proposal would be wholly unacceptable due to the detrimental impact on highway safety and would be contrary to LP13 of the Peterborough Local Plan.”
The applicant has six months to lodge an appeal.