South Lakes residents opposed to children's care home plan

Hexagon Care Services have applied to convert a house at Moorend Cottages, near Endmoor, into a home for four young girls in need of care.

Their application is for a Certificate of Lawful Development (CLD), meaning it does not go through South Lakeland District Council’s planning committee.

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Residents opposed to the plan are frustrated as this means they have no opportunity to represent their views as a planning officer will make the decision on the application.

David Skinns, who lives near Endmoor, said residents of the hamlet were ‘vehemently opposed’ to the plan because of concerns over parking, the impact the ‘vulnerable’ youngsters would have, and the lack of facilities available for them.

“The application argues that it doesn’t constitute a change of use, we argue it does on the basis the household fundamentally changes with emotionally disturbed children and carers,” he said.

“It should be subject to proper public scrutiny where we can represent our views.

“There’s insufficient parking – it’s at the top of a private road. Children of this kind are extremely difficult and likely to cause a great deal of noise so residents will suffer greatly; and it’s just not appropriate for them to be placed in the middle of this rural community without any kind of resource of facility.”

A spokesperson for Preston-based Hexagon Care Services said it was normal procedure to pursue a CLD when looking to convert a dwelling into a care home.

He said: “We take into account the parking arrangements and facilities available whenever we decide to purchase a property for use as a children’s home.

“There’s nothing else to really comment on until we know the planning department approve the application for certification.”

A decision on the CLD is expected within a month, after which the house would have to be registered with Ofsted before it could operate as a care home.