THURROCK Council is being asked to approve more local dwellings being turned into children's home.

The owners of 171 Southend Road, Stanford-le-Hope are seeking permission to turn a large family home into a care home for up to five children.

And a planning application has been submitted for a change of use at 56 Lenthall Avenue in Grays, where applicants want to convert the existing residential dwelling into a permanent children's home accommodating three young people between the ages of 11 and 18.

While the imposing building in Stanford will not be altered, a garage is set to be demolished.

In their application, Benfleet-based PBS Care Homes Limited  say: "The home is designed to offer "stable, medium to long-term care placements".

There will be no staff living on site, but five carers will work on a rotational basis, with typically two to three staff members on-site at a time to "ensure consistent care and supervision".

PBS add: "This setup aligns with the aim to maintain a balanced and home-like environment, avoiding an institutional feel. The children will attend local schools where possible, to provide stability and a sense of community.

"They will also be encouraged to attend local community-based activities such as sports clubs. There will be occasional visits from social workers, education professionals, and family members, primarily by appointment.

"These visits will be carefully scheduled to minimise any disruption to the household environment and maintain consistency for the residents.

"We anticipate only a minimal increase in vehicle movements, mostly limited to staff arrivals and departures at shift change times, as well as occasional visitor arrivals."

The property has five bedrooms as well as a two offices and communal spaces and staff and residents will have access to shared facilities "ensuring a communal living environment".

The applicant said the minimal alterations proposed will mean that the property will continue to function in a manner comparable to its current residential use.

The property on Lenthall Avenue

The property on Lenthall Avenue is a two-storey semi-detached house.

Applicant and potential home operator Ms Kenny Agboola says the proposed children's home will include three bedrooms for the children, along with two staff rooms with sleep in facility.

The ground floor, which is to be extended at the rear to create a larger kitchen, toilet and utility area, will also comprise of a young person bedroom, a staff room and lounge.

The property currently has two existing parking spaces at the front which will be retained.

The application follows a number of recent requests to turn residential Thurrock homes into children's homes. PBS Care Homes cites seven successful applications in the last two years to support its own application.

Recent approved applications include a conversion of a domestic property in Tilbury to a home for three looked-after children, a home for three children in Meadow Drive, Aveley, a home for three children in Argyll Road, Grays, a home for two children in Seaborough Road, Grays and a home for five children in Catherine Close, Chafford Hundred.

At a recent meeting of Thurrock Council's corporate parenting committee councillors questioned the proliferation of recent applications.

Cllr Cathy Sisterson, who represents Aveley and Uplands where at least two such homes have been sanctioned, questioned Elise McQueen, Thurrock Council's head of looked after children, on whether the homes were being used for Thurrock children.

She asked said "Are there more children's homes being opened in Thurrock, because on planning there's quite a few homes coming up that are going to be used as small scale children's homes.

"Are they for Thurrock children or other authorities?"

In response, Ms McQueen said "It depends on what our commissioning arrangements are with those facilities and if they are able to meet the needs of our children.

"It goes through extensive quality assurance.

"We have a bank of providers that we use first and foremost that were quality assured. For others set up and operating in the borough we would use them if they were good and could meet the needs of our children.

"First and foremost, you should be putting children in foster homes with foster parents and really I would prefer to avoid children's homes for children because they have multiple carers as parents but if there is good provision, our children's needs are complex and we can't meet their needs with a foster carer we would look locally."