Cabinet minister echoes concerns about East Lancs kids' homes applications

Now Playing

Sunday, 27 April 2025 05:23

By Bill Jacobs - Local Democracy Reporter

A government minister has expressed concern about the number of family homes being turned into small children’s care homes in East Lancashire and the North-West.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy spoke about the issue when she visited a breakfast club at Balladen Community Primary School in Rawtenstall with Rossendale and Darwen MP Andy MacNae on Tuesday.

The growing number of such conversions was first highlighted in August 2022 by then deputy chairman of Hyndburn Council’s planning committee

Cllr Judith Addison who said there was ‘a mushrooming industry’ of such conversions.

In the last few days there have been two more such planning applications in Hyndburn borough which is in the process of adopting a Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document on the issue.

One from Blackburn-based Thrive Residential Care Ltd is for 94 Fountain Street, Accrington.

The other by Prosperity Children’s Services Ltd is the firm’s second proposal to convert 30 Bluebell Way, Huncoat.

Blackburn with Darwen Council, which does have an adopted relevant SPG, has also seen many such applications and earlier this month rejected permission for a similar proposal at 42 Fore Street, Lower Darwen.

The latest figures show that a quarter of all children’s homes in England, 875, are in the North-West.

Tackled on the issue on her visit to Rawtenstall, Wigan MP Miss Nandy said: “Our absolute priority is that the right provision is there for young people where they need it and as a close to home as possible.

“Before coming into Parliament, I worked with children in care at the children’s society and before there at Centrepoint.

“I know from my own experience in Wigan where you have lots of applications not just children homes, drug addiction clinics, homeless shelters, if you have them all concentrated in one area it can put real strain at the community.

“By putting the child at the centre of the decision that we make, so provision is available in the right form closer to home, we are very confident we can ease pressure on communities and do the right thing by children.

“By putting the child at the centre, we are able to support communities as well.”

Mr MacNae said: “It is an individualised approach and recognising every child is different and rather than one size fits all, it is more about how you can build support around that child.

“You have to understand the area and align the approach to the area as well.”