PLANS for a residential care home in Mitchel Troy for young people have been given approval by Monmouthshire County Council despite local objections.

However, the application for the conversion of an adjacent barn into a school to provide specialist education for up to 20 pupils with learning difficulties, was turned down against case officer recommendations on the grounds of noise and disturbance to the local community, and traffic impact on the narrow country roads.

The application for the residential amenity by The Priory Group, who run a similar scheme at Talocher School, was given the go-ahead on Tuesday 12th April. This will allow the applicant to convert the property known as Hazeldene into a residential care home for up to six young persons.

Community Councillor Val Long and County Councillor Geoff Burrows both spoke for many of the residents who felt this was an inappropriate facility to have within their community, increasing the noise, traffic and impacting on crime in the area given the problems with a similar facility at Talocher, Wonastow.

Councillor Val Long reminded planners that Hazeldene was not a suitable property for a care home and Councillor Burrows had “grave reservations about the use of this property for this purpose.”

He added that other authorities place these children in Monmouthshire, and that authorities are not informed of these youngsters until absenteeism occurs and when our own social care services get involved and in many instances, when the police become involved.

James Imber, Operations Manager for the Priory Group, spoke at the meeting.

Mr Imber reminded the meeting that planning permission was not actually required for this conversion and that the property would be “no different to a large family home”.

He continued that the business would not pose any threat to any local area, “It is not not a local offenders’ home. We operate other small care homes in Usk, Malvern and Ross on Wye”.

Councillor Phil Murphy said he had “mixed feelings” over the application, but admitted there was “very little on planning grounds to judge this one on” and would be “not surprised if we turned it down it would be allowed on appeal”.

Cllr Maureen Powell said she felt a lot of sympathy with Cllrs Burrows and Long in a lot of ways but “not every child with learning difficulties will become disruptive and difficult”.

Monmouth’s Bob Hayward was concerned about the impact of the extra traffic on the immediate area and said that planning guidance is sparse: “This committee must use its common sense”. The plans were given approval.

The next application to convert the Mona Hawk Barn, into a school for six and up to an additional 12 others from Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire was turned down by eight votes to four on the grounds that the impact of the noise and the traffic was too much for the area given the unsuitable roads and proximity to other residences.