Representation by Haven Care Group Ltd, Registered No: 10015371 (Haven Care Group Ltd, Registered No: 10015371)
- Date submitted
- 5 August 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The Haven Care Group Limited (Haven) leases and operates Cherry Lodge children’s residential care home at 255 Ashbourne Road, Derby, DE22 3AJ (Home) which would be affected by the A38 Derby Junctions (Scheme) subject to a Development Consent Order (DCO) application. The Home is registered with Ofsted (regulatory body) as a 4-bed children residential care home catering for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties of mixed gender with an age range of 7-17 years. The Home has 14 staff members that includes; home manager, three deputy managers, team leader and support workers. On top of this staffing, the Home also has support of the service manager and the senior manager from the company. Currently there are four children at the Home. The staff are responsible to ensure the children are safeguarded from external and individual risks as well as their day to day living needs and maintaining a stable and consistent environment. The Home has achieved Ofsted rating of “Good” consistently over the last 3 years and the children are well settled. The DCO seeks compulsory purchase powers for the permanent acquisition of two plots at the Home, namely plots 3/15a and 3/15b (Plots) currently leased and occupied by Haven. Together the Plots comprise 135 metres of the front garden at the Home. This is a paved area providing staff car parking. Haven objects to the compulsory acquisition of land it occupies. Haven also has significant concerns about the impact of the construction and operation of the Scheme on the Home. 1. Parking Due the compulsory acquisition of the Plots the Home will lose all of its parking spaces. Currently the Home has two company cars which are used to take children to/from schools. There are also always at least four staff members cars parked that number goes up to six at times. It will not be practically possible to continue to operate the Home and provide the necessary care for the children without adequate on-site parking. 2. Environmental Conditions due to Scheme Works The Scheme will require substantial works (Works) to create the new A38 / A52 grade separation at the Markeaton Junction and that these construction works will last at least three years over six phases. There will be night-works and the immediately adjacent residential properties will be demolished. The Works will come to within a few meters of the Home itself. The DCO Environmental Statement identifies significant adverse construction traffic effects to the western end of A52 Ashbourne Road where the Home is located. The children at the Home are sensitive to changes in their local environment and it is considered there is a significant risk of these extensive Works over a protracted period having an adverse impact on their well-being and making their care more challenging. 3. Congestion due to the Scheme Works The traffic around the home is also expected to be extremely busy during the course of the Works. This will have impact on the young people/staff member getting to/from the Home especially in case of any emergencies. It is safe to assume commuting to work will become more time consuming for staff, and staff recruitment and retention will be more challenging. 4. The Operation of the Scheme Both the A52 and A38 will now be closer to the Home. In particular the A38 Southbound Merge slip will come significantly closer than the existing carriageway and there will no longer be buffered by the existing semi-detached houses to the north (to be demolished). There will also be a loss of the buffer provided by the front garden to the external environment outside the Home. This urbansing effect risks diminishing the perception of a stable and safe environment of the Home impacting on the quality of care provision and well-being of the children in care. Conclusion There is a significant risk that the Scheme will significantly and adversely impact the quality of care and well-being of the children. If it is necessary to re-locate the Home (and if possible to find and secure a suitable property) this will need to be a timely and highly organised operation to mitigate impact on the children due to the sensitivities described above. There is very little time to achieve this. Haven therefore objects to the Scheme due to the high risk it presents of the care and well-being of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties being adversely affected. Haven reserves the rights to raise further issues in its written representation in evidence and intends to take a full part in the examination including attending and making oral representations at relevant hearings.