Facebook commenters blasted by Councillor

A controversial children’s home plan has been approved by councillors after no-one turned up at a council meeting to speak in favour or against.

The empty public gallery at Wednesday’s (September 10) meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council stunned one councillor who asked where everybody was after scores of comments were made on one unnamed Facebook page.

Councillor Peter Scott (Independent, Newport West) could not see a problem with the plan by care company iNKFISH to change the use of a five-bed property in Teagues Crescent, Trench, from a dwellinghouse to a small children’s home for up to two young persons aged from eight to 18 years.

Councillor Scott said: “What’s the problem? This is ideal.

“No-one’s come to speak here. 71 people commented on Facebook, where are they? This is the place to speak.”

Officials said they only consider comments made during the application process, not on Facebook.

Councillor John Thompson (Labour, Wrockwardine Wood & Trench), the only member of the planning committee to vote against the plan, said there had been problems at other homes in the area.

“I’m just hoping that these concerns can be sorted,” he said.

But Councillor Arnold England (Labour, Brookside), who has worked in the care system, said: “I am in favour of children’s homes in the community, so I move it.”

Council planners said they had received eight objections and two letters of
support, with the concerns ranging from it changing the dynamic of the area, that it would set a precedent, that house prices would be devalued and fears over anti-social behaviour.

Planning officials said they had been told that the proposed care home would have two full-time staff members and one manager, which would provide medium- to long-term residential accommodation for the users and will “operate as closely as possible to a standard family household, in order to mirror a typical family environment”.

Highways officials said that the level of traffic “is not considered to result in significantly detrimental harm to the surrounding highway network and will not result in onstreet parking being required”.

“Shift changes are proposed to take place at appropriate times during the day, ensuring that there is not too much disruption to the surrounding area.”

They added that the provider is “well established in this service and has run similar homes, so will bring the correct experience to the role”.

They consider that the proposed use shares similarities to the working of a family home in a residential area and its daily operation “will not prejudice or undermine the existing surrounding uses”.

Residents had told the council that people had not been consulted. But officials considered that they had formally consulted all the neighbours who share a boundary with the application site and the process “has been duly adhered to”.

Officials added: “The applicant is looking to provide a ‘family home’ to the young persons in its care, rather than institutional settings.

“This approach is also favoured by the statutory regulator, Ofsted, who has been encouraging providers to move away from the more traditional institutional model, having recognised that ‘institutionalised’ persons can then have difficulty transitioning effectively to independent living and the workplace.”