THURROCK Council has approved the use of a house in Aveley to be used as a children's home.

The decision comes just a couple of weeks after another application for a conversion in the town was rejected.

They turned down a request to turn 100 Purfleet Road into a home for two children but a later application elsewhere on a relatively new estate found favour.

Planning officers have agreed a lawful development certificate application for a change of use of 41 Meadow Drive. The four-bedroom home can potentially be used for up to six residents living together.

The house will provide accommodation for three children with emotional behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

A live in carer will reside at the property to take care of the three children, including taking them to and from school.

There will be additional visits from non-resident carers, who would "assist the live-in carer in their duties as the head of the household".

These would amount to four over a seven-day period. The number of social worker or clinician visits is expected to be about four a month.

A report by planning officers said: "The occupation at the site and the suggested frequency of visitors would therefore be akin to the functioning of a typical single dwelling. There would be no more than four persons occupying the property.

"This lawful development certificate application seeks determination as to whether the change of use from a residential dwellinghouse into a dwellinghouse occupied by four persons, and by no more than six residents, living together as a single household where care is provided for residents, would be lawful."

It adds: "In assessing the layout of the property, as the dwellings internal layout is not to be altered, each of the three occupants would have their own bedrooms with a fourth bedroom being available for accommodation of the live in career.

"The kitchen, dining room and two lounges within the dwelling house would be shared between the residents and live in carer, in a manner reflective of a single household.

"This is satisfactory in confirming that the proposal would result in the property providing a home for up four residents together as a single household, where care is provided.

"The level of activity at the site in association with proposed use would not be materially different to the existing use of this site.

"Accordingly, the proposal would fall within the criteria of Class C3 (b) and the change of use sought is considered to be permitted development and for this reason, is lawful."