A company’s bid to convert a semi-detached suburban house into a home for children in care has been stymied – for the time being at least.

My Tribe Homes Ltd had asked Maidstone council to issue a Lawful Development Certificate for a change of use to allow the house in Grace Avenue to be used for four children in care.

There would also be two adult carers who would stay overnight on a rota basis but would not live there permanently.

The firm argued the use of the property as a care home was effectively no different from its use by a large family.

But the proposal created a slew of objections from residents in the street, who were mainly worried the new use might result in disruption to the peace of the neighbourhood.

One resident expressed fears of “noise and anti-social behaviour, youths congregating, foul language, verbal abuse, physical abuse and general intimidation”.

Residents’ concerns seem to have been given weight by the response of Kent Police to the application.

The force told the council that it would advise security be beefed up at the home with 1.78m high boundary fencing and gates to back or side accesses to be securely lockable from both sides.

It can be advisable for staff to carry personal attack alarms and body-worn cameras

The police said: “It is essential there is no unauthorised access to the rear of the site either via the side access route or via neighbouring premises.

“We recommend CCTV be installed at the main entrance doors to monitor the movements of the occupiers.

“In some circumstances, it can be advisable for staff to carry personal attack alarms and body-worn cameras for safety purposes.

“We recommend lighting to cover entrances to aid in natural surveillance and we strongly recommend external doors and windows meet high construction standards.

“Existing rear doors and windows may require limiters/restrictors to help maintain security.”

Police further recommended all windows be of laminated glass and said windows on the ground floor would require a defensive treatment “to deflect loitering”, such as the planting of prickly hedges.

Ravi Sharma, a director of My Tribe Homes, dismissed the police comments.

He said: “These are pretty standard conditions for all new developments on designing out crime. They are not specific to us.

“This is not about any sort of anti-social behaviour from within the home. This is about keeping our children safe.”

Maidstone council received 31 written objections to the scheme, but said that many of the issues raised, which included crime and antisocial behaviour, mortgage entitlement, an existing covenant on the property and building regulation issues, were not relevant to the lawful development certificate issue.

The council said the application needed to be decided solely on whether the use of the property as a children’s home presented a “material change”.

The authority concluded that because the carers would be working at the property and not living there, the new use would not constitute use by a household and therefore was a material change.

The lawful development certificate was therefore refused.

Sheila Ryan, who lives on the avenue, said: “The decision is the right one.

“It was very underhand the way this permission was sought.

“It was only by chance that anyone on the street found out about it – it was never advertised.”

The refusal does not necessarily mean the care home will not go ahead.

The company could decide to appeal the refusal and have the matter determined by a government planning inspector, or it could submit a full planning application, where all matters could be considered.

KentOnline asked Mr Sharma what he intended but he declined to say.

Details of the council’s reasons for refusal can be seen here.

Find out about planning applications and other public notices in your area by visiting PublicNoticePortal.uk

Details of the lawful development application can be seen here.

Application number 23/505260 refers.

Grace Avenue residents who opposed the care home were criticised by one former care home resident.

Heidi Hodges and her brother grew up in a care home after being made orphans. She stressed that children in care homes were not there voluntarily and were not automatically delinquents.

She asked for more understanding and urged residents not to pre-judge their potential neighbours.