I'm so relieved after controversial children's home in St Annes was refused

Ken Cridland, one of the campaigners, said he believed it was the first time an application for a children’s home had been refused by Fylde Council after 42 similar applications had all gone through.

The residents objected to an application to Fylde for a change of use of a dwellinghouse (Use Class 3) to a residential children's care home on St Andrew's Road South, St Annes.

The children’s home plans, for three young people (under 18 years of age) and non-resident carers, were submitted by Kirkham-based Creative Living Care Ltd.

Neighbours living in the area submitted objections to Fylde about the address being unsafe for young people, as it was directly next to a railway line, and also pointed to a dangerous S bend in the road and additional road safety issues caused by more visitors parking on the road.

Applicants Creative Living Care Ltd had insisted that the location, a three-bedroomed house, had been fully assessed and was deemed suitable for the plans.

Why it was refused

But at a Fylde Council planning meeting on Wednesday April 17, the application for the home was thrown out by councillors, despite being recommended for approval by the plannning officer and having no objections from Lancashire County highways.

The application was refused on the grounds that it would lead to unacceptable disturbance to immeduate neighbours, would lead to highway safey concerns and would require high fencing next to the railway line which would be out of keeping with the local area.

Ken Cridland said he believed the application would have been approved had it not been called in and gone before the planning committee for full discussion.

Mr Cridland, one of seven residents to address the meeting along with ward member Coun Cheryl Little, said: “We understand that we might well be the 43rd application in Fylde, and the first one to be turned down.

“We believe that it is likely that quite a few wrong decisions have been made previously, and that from now on, all applications need to be looked at in full like ours was, in the end.”

Such a relief

Diane Cridland who was also one of the speakers at the meeting said: “This is such a relief. We are looking forward to getting our lives back to normal. The amount of time spent responding, in meetings, lobbying people, getting a newsletter out and getting the petition signed has been enormous.”

Another resident, Ruth Alder, who was one of the speakers at the meeting said: “ It has required a hell of a push by us, but in the end, local democracy worked.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who got behind us, the 35 local people who sent in objections, and the 123 local people who signed our petition.”

Need for children’s homes

Mike Davies, the agent on behalf of the planning application, told the meeting there was there was a growing need for accommodation for looked after chlldren, with 400,000 among 12 million in the country who needed to be looked after in that way.

Creative Living Care Ltd was not available for comment on the result of the meeting.

However Matt Hughes, director of Kirkham-based Creative Living Care Ltd, previously said: "We provide nurturing opportunities for young people in a safe and structured environment and allow them to learn life skills which can help them in their lives.

"The properties we used are always assessed fully to ensure they are suitable and safe for what we do.”