PLANS for a residential children’s care home in Latchford have been approved – with a condition for 1.8 metre high boundary fencing.

An application proposing the change of use of number 2 Waterfront Drive, from a dwelling to a two-bed residential children’s home, came before the development management committee at its meeting on Thursday.

It was approved, subject to conditions.

One of the conditions is that ‘a minimum 1.8 metre high fencing shall be erected and maintained’ to all boundaries to the rear garden of the property and retained at all times while the property is in use as a children’s home.

In the decision notice, it says the reason for this is: “In the interests of privacy and security and to minimise the impact on the amenities of the neighbours and the local area and to conform with policy ENV8 of the Warrington Local Plan.”

According to a report to the committee, the home would provide 24-hour supervised care and accommodation for a maximum of two cared for children between the age of six and 17 who require residential care.

A total of 30 individual neighbour consultations were carried out – and 15 letters of objection were received as a result of the publicity given to the application, however, one objector ‘did not specify any reasons’ for the objection.

The reasons for the objections based on material planning grounds included, as summarised, potential disturbance from noise which would ‘detract from the general amenity of the area’, disturbance and disruption from workers who visit the site, general highway safety concerns with parking in the area being an ongoing issue, ‘impact on mental health and wellbeing’ of existing residents, and the proposal has caused ‘stress and anxiety’.

In the report to the committee, it said the proposed change of use of a dwelling to a residential children’s care home is acceptable in principle, subject to a condition to restrict the specific use and the number of children to that proposed.

“It has been adequately demonstrated that the home would be operated to mitigate any impact on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers and the surrounding area, and the proposal would not adversely affect the highway network,” it added.