A PLANNING application to convert a house in Church Langley into a care home is set to be put before the Harlow Council planning committee.

Recommendation

The proposal seeks permission for the change of use from single dwellinghouse (Class C3) to children’s care home. No external alterations are proposed to the dwelling. The proposed use is found to be acceptable in terms of character and appearance, residential amenity and parking/highways considerations. It complies with the relevant policies within the HLDP and supplementary documents and is recommended for approval accordingly.

Details of the Proposal

This application seeks full planning permission for the change of use from single dwellinghouse (Class C3) to children’s care home (Class C2). It would facilitate the provision of residential accommodation for a maximum of three residents aged between 8 and 17.

The applicant has set out that there would be seven members of full-time equivalent staff, operating on 12-hour shift pattern arrangements between 7 and 10. There would be a minimum of two staff members at any given time, with one site manager.

No external alterations are proposed to the dwelling.

Site and surroundings

The application site relates to 186 Malin Drive, a mid-terraced townhouse located within a residential area of Church Langley. It shares a boundary to the east with No. 185 and one to the west with No. 187.

Summary of Representations Received

Objections: 37 from 20 separate properties have been received

Support: 20 received

Objections

The following objections were raised that are material to the determination of this planning application:

Parking/Highway Safety: will exacerbate local parking stress; traffic generation; most properties only have one parking space so park on the road

How will staff being encouraged to use public transport be enforced/monitored; Malkin Drive is not served by public transport; there are no parking restrictions; access issues for emergency vehicles and residents; hazard for pedestrians/cyclists

Amenity: noise generation; disturbance; altered street dynamics caused by staff turnover and activity; erosion of sense of local community; loss of privacy

Character & Appearance: conversion into children’s care home not suitable within a residential area; overdevelopment/intensification of property; degradation; estate is a family-oriented development

Officer Comment: The material matters raised are addressed in the assessment below.

Support

The following expressions of support were raised that are material to the determination of this planning application:

– Will give vulnerable children a safe, caring, secure, inclusive and supportive home/environment;

– Provide life and social skills to help support transition to adulthood; educational and emotional support;

– High demand for service; will be a great asset; and

– Located near services and schools..

The application is scheduled to be discussed on Wednesday February 12th at 7pm in the Civic Offices.

The full application can be found here