Concerns have been mounting over a significant rise in “speculative applications” to convert residential properties into children’s care homes across Solihull. Local Democracy Reporting Service has closely monitored numerous planning requests submitted to Solihull Council in recent years, targeting family homes in areas such as Castle Bromwich and Marston Green.
At the Solihull full council meeting on April 14, Liberal Democrat councillor Laura McCarthy introduced a motion highlighting these developments. She emphasized that the intent is not to restrict care provision but to ensure that any care offered adheres to the highest standards.
“Solihull Council is on an ongoing journey to improve its children’s services,” Coun McCarthy stated. “Improvement is a continuous commitment, and that commitment is threatened by an increase in planning applications from entities without registered provider status at the time of application. This trend raises safeguarding concerns linked to the unknown quality of care providers.”
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Councillor Max McLoughlin, Leader of the Green Group, expressed his full support for the motion’s objectives, noting that the matter requires collaboration between planning officers and children’s services. He recommended referring the motion to both the council’s Economic Development, Managed Growth and Skills Scrutiny Board and the Children’s Services and Education Scrutiny Board for further review and development.
Cabinet member for planning, Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, acknowledged the complexity of the issue and confirmed that guidance has already been communicated to the planning committee regarding application assessments.
Ultimately, councillors voted unanimously to forward the motion to the relevant scrutiny boards for detailed consideration, marking a proactive step toward balancing care provision growth with safeguarding and quality assurance.