Application for Crimble Lane house to become a residential institution submitted

1 Crimble Lane

A planning application has been submitted for a house on Crimble Lane to become a residential institution.

The application, submitted by the Cambian Group, proposes a change of use from a dwelling to a residential institution for up to three children between the ages of 11 and 17 with three staff members.

The Cambian Group, which is in the process of purchasing 1 Crimble Lane, is one of the largest providers of specialist education and behavioural health services for children in the UK, providing services to almost 2,000 children and young people across 224 locations.

Cambian says the home “would provide a safe and stable environment for vulnerable young children” and would “operate like any other family home.”

Two members of staff would be residential, with a 10am-10am shift including sleep-over plus an additional non-residential staff member.

20 objections have so far been received for the plans, citing reasons as Cambian’s ‘poor record’ and concerns of ‘behavioural control issues’, criminal or antisocial behaviour, vandalism, plus parking and access issues.

In 2017, undercover filming for an ITV documentary found “evidence of understaffing, inadequate training” and “an admission by Cambian employees that poorly performing homes are temporarily closed to avoid failing their Ofsted inspection.”