A ‘vital’ new children’s home has been approved for a 4-bedroom house on the outskirts of the Isle of Wight’s county town in response to an ‘urgent local need’.
Milford Del Support Agency has been given permission for a change of use of a residential property at 155A Staplers Road, Newport, which would allow provision of care and accommodation for children or young people under 18.
As of March 2023, 38.6% of the 295 children under the care of the Isle of Wight Council were living off the Island, according to its placements and commissioning manager.
The Isle of Wight Council’s decision report for proposal 25/01722/FUL said:
“With any residential use there is the potential for some noise and disturbance, however given the size of the property and the scale of the use indicated, it is considered the proposed use would be unlikely to harm neighbouring amenity which would be more likely to be maintained to a good level.
“Whilst there is likely to be some comings and goings associated with the proposed use, including staff changing over and visitors, such activity is unlikely to be much greater than that associated with a dwellinghouse of this size.”
Milford Del is an Isle of Wight based family-run care provider which operates a number of similar homes across the Island, providing residential care for children and young people, a Planning Statement from BCM Wilson Hill said.
The statement said:
“There is an identified and urgent local need for additional children’s residential accommodation on the Isle of Wight.
“This is confirmed by correspondence from the placements and commissioning manager at the Isle of Wight Council, who has expressed full support for the proposal.”
The manager previously said:
“This initiative is a vital step toward meeting the urgent need for local care provision for vulnerable children, allowing them to remain within their community and benefit from greater stability and support.
“Currently, the Isle of Wight faces a significant shortfall in residential care options, which has led to a high number of children being placed in facilities off the Island.”
3 neighbours objected to the application, however, whose concerns included the location of the home being unsuitable, its impact on the area’s character as well as increased traffic and the coming and going of people working at the home.
A duo of conditions were attached to the council’s approval for the purposes of planning policy compliance and protecting the character and appearance of the surrounding area, neighbouring amenity and the amenities of occupiers of the children’s home.
