Doncaster Council: Planning permission granted for new children's home despite objections

The application, submitted by Rise Above Care, drew a large turnout from local residents and ward councillor, Joan Briggs, against its approval.

Cllr Briggs told the committee the proposals were extremely unpopular with local residents who felt the property, on School Walk in Old Edlington, Doncaster, was unsuitable.

However, applicants Carl Nelson and Heather Turngoose were undeterred, informing the committee neighbours of their two other children’s homes in Sheffield and Barnsley were also initially against their plans, but are now “on board”.

Ms Turngoose told the committee that residents near to Rise Above Care’s other homes now buy Easter eggs for the children in their care and they have been welcomed into their respective communities.

She said: “We are here to provide safe homes to children.

“This house has been safely used by residents for decades and assuming children cannot do that is simply unfair.”

Her comments followed speeches from Cllr Briggs and local resident Anne Newbould – who both suggested the property was unsuitable.

Ms Newbould said: “We believe this is a case of a square pegg in a round hole.”

She suggested the applicants had not properly researched the area and said claims there were suitable amenities nearby are incorrect.

“At a previous meeting in August, the applicants did not know where the nearest school was,” she said.

This was echoed by Briggs.

“There are no amenities in the village,” the Edlington and Warmsworth ward councillor told the committee panel.

“In the last meeting, the church was referred to as an amenity. The applicants didn’t know it’s a redundant church which closed in the early 1960s,” she added.

Both Cllr Briggs and Ms Newbould asked the committee to reject the application, but after hearing from Mr Nelson and Ms Turngoose, permission was granted.

As a result, three children aged between six-and-17-years old, will be housed at the property.

The home will be registered with Ofsted, providing crucial registered accommodation lacking in Doncaster and across the country.

As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Doncaster Council spent over £1.8million placing Looked After Children in unregulated accommodation in 2024/25.

Placing children in unregulated accommodation was banned in 2021, however, many authorities still spend millions doing so due to a shortfall in regulated accommodation.

Ms Turngoose told the committee the Rise Above home will provide round-the-clock 24hr care for the children living in the property.

In line with common practice, Mr Nelson said staff will work in mostly staggered shifts to ensure there is staff on site to look after the children and to reduce the number of vehicles on the property at any one time.

The application included plans to extend the driveway by installing a turning point for staff vehicles and moving an electric gate on the property closer to the road by “less than a metre”.

Councillors on the committee passed the application by four votes for to one against. Committee chair Cllr Majid Khan and Cllr Steve Cox abstained from the vote.