Plans to open a children’s home on the site of a former County Durham fire station have been lodged.
Durham County Council hopes to convert a Newton Aycliffe fire service crew building into a new facility to house up to four children with learning disabilities.
If approved, the home will be operated by the local authority’s Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS) to accommodate children aged between five and 17-years-old.
The building was built about 10 years ago and was used by fire station staff, who required sleeping accommodation on site. However, the building is now no longer needed and is currently unused.
Last year, a police station based inside the fire and rescue building closed.
While the council admits the development of a new children’s home within a community can often cause concerns among members of the local community about the fear of crime and its impact on community cohesion, it says appropriate measures will be in place.
Initial plans detail how children living at the home will be cared for around the clock by residential staff in the home and in the community. No child will be able to leave the site unsupervised.
A six-foot tall fence with a lockable gate is also proposed to be erected between the proposed building and the wider fire station site to the side.
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Neighbourhood police officers have also confirmed their support for the proposed home’s location and suitability.
A planning statement read: “The development of the new home is in line with the council’s sufficiency plans and demand in service provision, ensuring that children and young people can continue to live in their home area where they can continue to access support networks, see friends and family, where it is appropriate to do so.”
The planning application will be considered by Durham County Council’s planning department in due course.
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