Plans to convert a house into a specialist children’s care home have been withdrawn after concerns were raised over potential highway issues.
Applicant Good Seed Care Ltd hoped to accommodate up to four children aged seven to 18, who would either have been diagnosed with learning disabilities or emotional/behavioural difficulties.
The property, located at 317 Eastfield Road in Peterborough, is a five-bed detached house with four off street parking spaces to the front and a garage to the rear.
If approved by Peterborough City Council, the home would have been registered with Ofsted as a four-bed children’s home, with the children expected to live there long-term and prepare for life outside of care.
Planning documents stated: “The home aims to provide a therapeutic approach with a high level of individualised care. We aim to provide young people with a sense of belonging and security and to enable the development of healthy relationships, feeling valued, and a positive transition into adulthood.”
The local highway authority (LHA) objected to the plans and noted that the introduction of two-way movements at the site would have been ‘unacceptable’, as the site’s access had “substandard vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to pedestrian visibility splays”.
Other reasons for objection cited by the LHA included vehicles potentially blocking the footway while gates were opened and a lack of adequate parking provision on the site.
Peterborough City Council’s children’s commissioning team stated that further conversation would be welcomed with the applicant to “understand the alignment of the service with the needs of the children in care in the city”.
The applicant withdrew the plans on June 18 and confirmed that a revised application would be prepared to address the concerns of the highway officers.