Children's care homes approved despite parking and occupancy concerns

Two applications have been green lit for a couple of small care homes for children in Ascot – despite objections questioning logic behind the number of rooms versus people living there.

These proposals are for a change of use for three adjacent new-build properties.

The first in Ranald Court (25/02748) is only providing a home for one child between eight and 17, who will be there for at least a year.

There will be two carers for the child across three rotas every 24 hours, among other staff – with no more than four people living there at a time, and no more than two cars parked at a time.

There is a ‘desperate need’ for this home, say the applicants, North Star Children’s Homes. It has had ‘more than 750 placements’ proposed to it.

“This proposal would enable a very small number of children with damaged childhoods to recover and become better adults,” they wrote.

However, there were objections.

One reads: “This property faces a housing association complex of 19 flats for residents over the age of 60... To have a children’s home immediately opposite has upset many of the residents who are vulnerable.

“They feel strongly that is not a suitable option not only from a noise perspective but also from traffic and parking.”

Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council also had concerns, querying ‘how it would be possible’ for four people to live in a two-bed property.

There will be a manager and a deputy manager working across all three properties but ‘it is not made clear’ whether these managers will be living onsite, and if so, where, the parish council added.

It also had concerns over parking.

“The application states that there will be no more than two cars present at any one time at each property. This seems unlikely, as no allowance has been made for the inevitable overlap of carers,” they wrote.

The second approved home in Winkfield Road (25/02750) is accommodation for two children, with ‘not more than six people’ living there at once, and space for two cars.

The parish council again queried the parking and the maximum number of occupants compared to rooms (it is a four-bed home).