A proposal to convert a residential house in Millsons Wood, Solihull, into a children’s care home has been rejected at the first stage due to planning permission issues. Jason Hewitt, the applicant, sought a certificate of lawful development to establish a specialist one-bedroom children’s home on Daytona Drive without needing full planning permission.
The application, submitted to Solihull Council on June 29, argued that the change of use would be minimal and visually indistinguishable from surrounding homes. The planned home was to accommodate one child long-term, with a manager and up to two carers working on a rota system. The applicant emphasized that this was not a temporary or emergency housing facility and cited similar approvals in other local authorities.
However, just one day after submission, Mark Andrews, the Council’s Head of Planning, Design and Engagement Services, issued a refusal stating that the proposed use represented a material change of use requiring full planning permission. He advised that the applicant must submit a full planning application to proceed.
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As of now, no further planning application has been recorded on the council’s planning portal, leaving the future of the children’s home proposal uncertain.