The property, in Lea Bridge Road, would be turned into a full-time home for five children aged between six and 17 years old, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Proposals have been put forward to turn a six-bed home in Leyton into a care home for children.
The property, in Lea Bridge Road, would be turned into a full-time home for five children aged between six and 17 years old.
It would not provide medical care or treatment and would instead function as a place for disadvantaged children to live.
Planning agent David Mansoor Consultants, writing on behalf of applicant Fraz Butt, said it would replicate a “normal family environment” as closely as possible.
They said the aim was to “help children, who often through no fault of their own, have come from disadvantaged backgrounds”.
They added: “These are the types of children who would normally be looked after by foster families, though sadly there is an acute shortage.”
The proposals were submitted to Waltham Forest Council’s planning department on 11th September. A decision is expected to be made by 6th November.
Accompanying the five children would be a full-time carer, who would sleep at the home.
As part of the “safe and nurturing environment” the applicants hope to foster, the children would be taught to cook healthy meals, clean, budget, and develop ‘independent living skills’. They would also go on supervised days out.
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During term time, they would attend local schools.
It is the latest in the series of applications across north and east London, as the cost of children’s social care becomes an increasing burden on local governments.
Similar proposals have been put forward in Havering, though some have been met with concern over potential increases in traffic and noise.
In the case of Lea Bridge Road, the applicants argue the amount of traffic would be comparable to what a family home generates.
As no external changes have been proposed, they contend it would be indistinguishable from a conventional residential property.
The applicant says: “Such movements are not likely to be significantly more than those undertaken by a family unit and certainly not enough to result in an intensification of use or cause disturbance to any neighbouring property.”
According to financial advisers at Rangewell, the need for children’s care is growing at a rate local authorities cannot meet.
They say children’s care homes comprise a “rising business opportunity for those who want to combine social good with stable profit”. Those profits can also be “lucrative”.
In the UK, around 80 per cent of children’s homes are privately operated.
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