A BID to turn a detached house in Grays into a children's residential care home has been submitted to Thurrock Council — just weeks after the authority ruled the change could not proceed without a full planning application.

Karisla Limited is seeking permission to use the property in Palmers Drive as a two bed children's home for young people aged seven to 17 who have emotional, behavioural, or mild learning needs.

The application follows the council's refusal on February 2 to grant a Certificate of Lawful Proposed Use, ruling that a condition attached to a previous approval prevents any alternative use without additional consent.

The applicant stresses that the refusal did not raise any concerns about the planning merits of the proposal, with the issue relating solely to the wording of a 2021 planning condition.

A planning statement submitted with the new application argues the council should now fully assess the scheme, which it says is "smaller and less intensive" than the mother-and-baby unit already permitted at the site.

Planning permission granted after presentation of a report in March 2021 allowed the property to be converted from a family home into a residential institution for up to four young mothers and their children.

That approval included a garage conversion, which has since been carried out, and authorised four off street parking spaces. The proposed rear extension, however, was never built, meaning the house remains in its original form.

Under the new plans, no physical alterations are proposed. The property would operate around the clock with a small staff team providing supervised care, therapeutic support and a home style environment. The operator says the home would comply with regulations and would be registered with Ofsted.

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Staffing would include two support workers and a team leader on daytime shifts, with a registered manager on site and additional observation workers available if required. Overnight staffing would consist of a waking night worker and a sleep in shift leader.

The planning statement argues the use would be similar in scale to a large family home and would not harm neighbour amenity, increase noise or create parking problems. It suggests the existing permission for a larger residential unit offers a clear fallback position, making the proposed use acceptable in planning terms.