Children's home plan rejected by council is given go-ahead by planning inspector

Sandwell Council rejected a move to convert the home in Dingle Street, Oldbury, into a new residential home for up to three children last year saying it was “unsuited for the area".

But the owners New Era Residence appealed to the Government’s planning inspector in a bid to get the ruling overturned and won.

The Government planning inspector disagreed with the council and said the children’s home in the “quiet, suburban area” would create no more noise or disruption than a family home with three children.

Nine objections were made by neighbours.

The planning inspector’s report said: “Despite the potential emotional and behavioural needs of the children, there is no compelling evidence to indicate that the use of the property or the associated outside space, including early morning outdoor play would result in disturbance which would be materially different to that which could be reasonably expected of a domestic family residence.”

Sandwell Council’s planners said the proposal for the children’s residential home in Dingle Street would not provide enough parking and would cause problems in the cramped street.

The residential home would cater for up to three children as well as three staff during the day and two overnight. Three parking spaces would be provided.

The planning inspector said ‘it would not be unusual’ for existing residents to ‘hear the comings and goings of their neighbours throughout the day’ and the “anticipated movements” would be no greater than those of a “three-child family in a property of this size, carrying out their day-to-day activities.”

An application to build a four-bed and a three-bed home on overgrown land in Dingle Street was approved in 2016. An application by Quintella Thompson of New Era Residence for a three-and-two-storey extension and a single-storey rear extension was approved by the council in 2022.

Another application by Quintella Thompson asking for permission to convert the house into a residential home for up to three children plus up to two overnight staff was then rejected in August last year.

In a report outlining the objection, the council said: “Whilst there would be no obvious physical features that distinguish the property from a normal family dwelling, there would be other notable differences in its use.

“These differences included staff change-over, early in the morning and late in the evening, weekdays and weekends. This would be very noticeable to neighbouring occupiers, marking the property as something other than a dwelling house.

“It may also result in a number of vehicles being parked at the property and on-street at any one time including carers, a manager and other professionals visiting the site.”