Children’s care home at 4 Sefton Close, Clayton-le-Moors

The site and property

The detached home is in a residential cul-de-sac, has four bedrooms, a converted garage room and a driveway stated to hold six cars.

“Description of the Site and the Proposed Development This application relates to No.4 Sefton Close, a detached dwelling situated on the west side Burnley Road, within a cul-de-sac setting of Sefton Close. The property is bounded by residential curtilage of the neighbouring properties to the north and west, a pedestrian footpath providing connection between Sefton Close and Burnley Road to the south, and a row of mature hedge along the footway along Burnley Road to the east.”

“Although the submitted planning statement suggests that the property has an integral garage, but it has already been converted into a reception room/bedroom 5 (as shown in the floor plans). No.4 Sefton forms part of a modern housing estate situated on land between Burnley Road and the Leeds-Liverpool canal developed in the late 1990s, with other similarly designed detached and semi-detached dwellings at Higher Firs Drive in its close proximity.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Highways officers raised no objection subject to conditions, while 111 objections raised concerns about amenity, parking, traffic, safety and concentration.

“The applicant has not demonstrated an identified local need for the children homes. • Place three children plus rotating staff in a four-bed properties constitutes over- intensification use of the property. The loss of garage further reduces internal amenity spaces. • Without double garage, parking provision is significantly reduced. This would result in on-street parking, congestion and safety risks. • Potential risk of increasing level of crime and anti-social behaviour.”

“Feb 2026: • Local Plan with red line boundary extended to the public highway • Parking layout Plan • Rolling three week staff rota • Nurture Nest’s comments dated 28 th Jan 2026 in response to LCC’s initial comments Having reviewed the documents submitted, LCC acting as the local highway authority does not raise an objection regarding the proposed development and concludes that there are no highway grounds to support an objection as set out by NPPF.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The chief planning and transportation officer presented the application, including the property, proposed care arrangements, objections and highway response.

The vote and decision

The committee approved the application in line with the officer recommendation and the conditions set out for the permission.

“Resolved – The application was approved as per the officer’s recommendation with the conditions noted in the agenda.”

Minutes