Caerphilly Observer
Member Sign in Manage Membership
Become a Member - no ads
Menu
  • News
    • Senedd
    • Business
    • Newport
    • Opinion
  • Sport
    • Rugby union
    • Football
  • Membership & Subscriptions
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • About
    • Advertise
  • Sponsored Content
Menu

Claim council took ‘wrong approach’ by not consulting residents on children’s home

Newport | Nicholas Thomas - Local Democracy Reporting Service | Published: 15:50, Monday July 28th, 2025.
Last updated: 15:50, Monday July 28th, 2025

Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Newport Civic Centre

Neighbours should have been consulted over plans to convert a nursing home into a children’s home, a Newport councillor has claimed.

Cllr David Fouweather believes the city council took “the wrong approach” when judging that local residents did not need to be consulted over the proposed change of use.

He alleged neighbours have experienced antisocial behaviour since the property was repurposed.

“A change from a nursing [or] residential home to a children’s home is in my opinion quite significant, as there are often different issues associated with the applications – in particular as residents are now experiencing antisocial behaviour which would have not been present at the previous use of the premises,” said Cllr Fouweather.

According to a cabinet member, the matter relates to Newport City Council granting a lawful development certificate for a property’s change of use in November 2023.

At the time, the applicant in that case said up to two children between the ages of seven and 17 would live at the property, and generally children under its guardianship may have been taken into care “for a variety of reasons, including fears for their physical wellbeing, learning disabilities or because of emotional or behavioural difficulties”.

Charity’s bid to take over community centre hit by ‘frustrating’ delays

“Typically, the reason for the children needing care is simply that they are not yet old enough to live independently or require additional support that cannot be provided within their current setting,” the applicant added.

A planning report from the time shows no consultation was applicable to the case, and the application was not advertised for locals to share their views.

Planning officers judged the proposal for a children’s home with up to two children and two adult staff members “would not represent a material change of use” from the existing property, and was therefore considered “lawful”.

But Cllr Fouweather has asked the local authority to “revisit” the policy.

In response, Cllr Saeed Adan, the cabinet member for housing and planning, defended the “open and transparent” planning process.

Cllr Adan noted the local authority’s legal minimal requirements for consultations on planning applications “where the merits of a case are for consideration”, but said lawful development certificates fell outside that scope.

He said those cases involve “a legal determination, based on fact and whether a development is permitted by legislation”, and called it “a simple yes or no situation”.

“Changing this approach and consulting residents on all applications for lawful development certificates would be disingenuous,” the cabinet member added. 

“In the case referred to, residents would reasonably believe that their comments would be taken into account in determining the application, when in fact they would not have any relevance nor influence.”


Sign-up to our daily newsletter


Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts.

Become a member today

LDRS

Latest News

  • The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
    National Library on high alert over cyber attacksFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Aerial Image of the proposed development site (marked roughly in yellow) next to Coedcae Road, Abertridwr
    Plans for 17 new homes finally get thumbs upFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Caerphilly Sport Awards 2025 finalists announcedFriday, October 10, 2025
  • St Peter's Church, Deri, pictured in July 2025
    Church and hall could be transformed into two new homesFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Premier Stores in Bedwlwyn Road, Ystrad Mynach, pictured in June 2025
    Five flats proposed for space above shopFriday, October 10, 2025
  • Stock image
    Landlords count the costs of building safety billFriday, October 10, 2025

Find out how the communities of Caerphilly County Borough get their names

Caerphilly

Legal & Public Notices

  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesThursday, October 2, 2025
  • Notice of application for a premises licence: Hanbury Road, BargoedThursday, September 25, 2025
  • Notice of application for a variation of a premises licence: Pontygwindy Industrial EstateThursday, September 18, 2025
  • Caerphilly County Borough Council public noticesThursday, September 18, 2025
© 2009-2024 Caerphilly Media Ltd, Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community Watford Road Caerphilly, CF83 1BJ. Incorporated in Wales No. 07604006.