Children's care home at 13 Palatine Square, Burnley

“The application site relates to a four-bedroom semi-detached house of traditional stone and slate construction, with dwellings to either side in an established residential area, with dwellings to the front and rear also. The house has an enclosed rear courtyard and front garden with a front/side driveway providing three off road parking spaces.”

“The residential dwellinghouse is situated within a small road known as Palatine Square. The property is currently used as a C3 dwellinghouse, within the development boundary limits of the Principal Town of Burnley as defined by the Local Plan. Additionally, the property lies within the Palatine Conservation Area.”

“COU/2024/0519 – Change of use from residential (Use Class C3) to children’s care home (Use Class C2), Withdrawn.”

“Principle of development • Impact upon residential amenity • Quality of living environment for occupants • Impact upon Character of the Conservation Area • Local listed – non designated heritage asset • Highway safety and parking • Sustainability • Other matters 9.0 Principle of Proposal:”

“A recent Ministerial Statement (dated 23/05/23) sets out the Government’s commitment to support the development of accommodation for looked after children, indicating that the planning system should not be a barrier to providing homes for the most vulnerable children in society.”

“The attached Market Position Statement clearly sets out that there is already a very high number of agency children's homes in Lancashire and careful consideration should be given to the establishment of any more agency homes, based on local need and the impact of local services.”

“Because the provider has not consulted with Lancashire Children's Services, it is not clear whether this home would care for the type of children that we would consider to be suitable for a 2-bed home and the associated cost of this to the taxpayer. I am concerned that the home has an age range starting as young as 5 years old and can confirm that Lancashire Children's Services very rarely places a child who is under the age of 11 into a children's home.”

“Highway safety, access and parking: Result in more people at the property, both residents, staff and visitors, equating to grater disturbance to neighbours and increased traffic resulting in unsafe, highway parking and access for emergency vehicles within the square. Previous children related accidents having been hit/run over by vehicles. Increased refuse collection as a result of it being a business. No open rear access to the property.”

“Increase noise and disturbance: The 24-hour care facility with multiple staff, shifts, visitors and deliveries to cause harm and have a negative impact on the amenity of the residents. The presence of distressed and potentially troublesome children could lead to increased noise.”

“That the application be approved, subject to the following conditions.”

“No building or use hereby permitted shall be occupied or use commenced until the car/vehicle parking area (and any associated turning space) shown on the approved plans has been completed. The parking (and manoeuvring) area(s) shall thereafter always remain available for parking of vehicles associated with the dwelling.”