Councillors give go-ahead on plans to convert large house into children’s care home

Elgan Hearn, Local democracy reporter

Councillors have given the go-ahead on plans to convert a large house in a Welsh town into a children’s care home.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, March 26, councillors received a proposal from Aropa Care Group Ltd to change the use of Mountain View, Highfield in Blaina from a Class C3 dwelling house to a Class C2 residential care home.

The property has five bedrooms, four reception rooms, and an enclosed garden. The change of use will allow the firm to look after four children there, from the age of eight to 18 years old.

Planning officer Sophie Godfrey said: “The children would be cared for by up to five members of staff working shift patterns. Two would sleep overnight at the property but would not be residents.”

She explained that “several objections” had been raised by neighbours about the proposal.

Ms Godfrey said: “The applicant seeks to create an environment which allows staff and children to live together as a single family.

“In many respects, the proposal would not result in any greater impact on the amenity of neighbours above those that would arise from a large family living at the property.

“Therefore, the proposal is not considered to have a detrimental impact on neighbouring properties in terms of loss of privacy, increased levels of noise, and disturbance.”

She said that the lack of pavement outside the property had also been brought up as a safety issue but explained that the house has been there for more than 25 years, and the council’s highways officer had no objections when consulted on the plans.

Ms Godfrey went on to recommend approving the application.

Cllr Peter Baldwin (Labour – Nantyglo) spoke as a local member on the application, which means he was not allowed to vote on the proposal.

Cllr Baldwin asked whether the highways officer’s advice on the pavement would be different if the application was for a new build.

Planning Development Team Manager Steph Hopkins said: “If this was a new build under current legislation, we would expect a footway to be built across the front of the site.

“Looking at maps, this property has been there for in excess of 40 years, and regulations were very different then as to what was allowed for footway provision on any development.”

Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Opposition Independents – Brynmawr) said: “Highway and pedestrian safety is paramount in our thoughts.

“Could the developer put up some signs to make people leaving the site aware of pedestrians?”

Built Environment Infrastructure Services Team Manager Mark Hopkins said: “If there was an issue in this area, we would be aware of it, and this house has been there for a very long time.

“It’s a valid point; we will look into that.”

He added that if “issues are reported,” the highway authority could place a warning sign there if needed.

Mrs Hopkins said that she didn’t believe imposing a condition on the planning permission to place a sign there would be the right thing to do.

“But we can certainly add an informative note that the users are made aware of highway safety, and they are careful when exiting the property,” said Mrs Hopkins.

The committee then went to a vote and unanimously agreed to the proposal.