Distinctive old house in Ashfield village could be turned into children's care home

A planning application has been received by Ashfield District Council, seeking a lawful development certificate for the three-bedroom, detached property at 46 Church Lane on the edge of Underwood.

Built in the 1920s, the house was previously occupied by a family of two adults and four children. It last sold for £475,000 in 2021 and is now valued at £528,000 by The Move Market website.

The plan is to turn it into a home for a maximum of three children, aged five to 18, who, “for various reasons, are unable to live with their parents but are not old enough to live independently”.

They would be looked after by a team of two live-in carers, working on a rota basis, an additional carer and a manager, who would visit when necessary.

The application has been submitted by the London-based company Revick Residential Care Ltd, whose sole director is Olajide Ayomide, a 46-year-old man of Nigerian nationality.

Mr Ayomide’s agent is Jim Malkin, of the experienced planning consultancy, JMI Planning, based in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.

Mr Malkin has compiled a planning statement for the council which aims to address any concerns that the residents of Underwood might have.

It says: “Revick is seeking to provide a small-scale children’s care home owing to the pressing need for such facilities.

"The children and carers would effectively live in the house as a family, and each would have their own bedroom.

"The children would not be detained offenders or have any medical or clinical condition requiring secure facilities. The carers are simply required because the children are too young to live independently.

"The home would be licensed by the education watchdog, Ofsted, and would be managed and operated in strict accordance with its guidelines and requirements.”

The statement stresses that “the proposal seeks to create a family-orientated environment where the children will thrive and achieve positive outcomes”.

With the carers, they would take meals together, socialise together and share communal spaces, which included an enclosed, landscaped garden. In the daytime, they “would be likely to attend local schools or specialist education facilities”.

"The aim is to provide stable and long-term living environments for children, as opposed to emergency short-term accommodation,” the statement adds.

"It would not result in any greater noise or disturbance than a conventional family home.”

No physical alterations were planned for the property, which had ample parking space for five vehicles.

The council’s planning officers are now considering the scheme and have set a deadline date of September 21 for a decision or recommendation. Interested neighbours and villagers can post their comments on the council’s website.

Other planning applications received by Ashfield Council in recent days include these:

18 Pinewood Close, Kirkby – change of use of green space land to include within the domestic residential curtilage, complete with six-foot high fencing at front boundary.

Cottage 2, Newboundmill Farm, Newbound Lane, Sutton – construction of two-storey annexe to enhance and upgrade existing pump-house structure.

46 Westbourne Road, Sutton – vehicle access.

The details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/