A SMALL children’s home has been given the green light despite a councillor’s fears about crime and its location next to a canal. 

Housing association Melin Homes has been given planning permission to convert a currently unoccupied bungalow in Greenhill Road, Woodside, Cwmbran, into a children’s home, for two youngsters, and extend its garage to create an annex for an independent living space for a third. Staff, who will stay overnight, will have use of a third bedroom in the bungalow. 

But at a meeting of Torfaen Borough Council’s Planning Committee, concerns were raised that the authority’s planning policy had already identified an ambition to develop the area as a “canal quarter”, while Cllr Alan Slade said he also had fears over potential crime as the home is close to Cwmbran town centre. 

The Llantarnam ward member said the UK Crime website had identified the town centre as “the third most dangerous area in Gwent”. 

The independent councillor said: “Gwent Police have reported 66 crimes in the area in October alone, 40 for a combination of anti-social behavior and public disorder and, more worryingly, 23 for violent and sexual offences. 

“It’s an area where vulnerable young children should not be accommodated and frankly I’m amazed the developer has not taken this into consideration.” 

Cllr Slade said the town centre had “a lot of attractions” for young people: “There’s fast food, a cinema and bowling but it’s also got an extremely high crime rate.” 

He also complained that the road is six metres wide and said, as it is an access route to a nearby industrial estate, it should be a metre wider. 

The application identified a potential need for four parking spaces with only three accommodated within the grounds of the bungalow. Planning officers said there are no parking restrictions on Greenhill Road and the area is served by two nearby bus routes. 

Pontnewydd Labour councillor Stuart Ashley said there is a similar home in his ward and that parking could be an issue but described the area as a “good location with lots of positives for young people” including a walking route into town and the canal path.  

Richard Lewis, the council’s head of planning, said being close to the town centre meant the home is in a “sustainable location” and he said the application had been discussed with the council’s highways department who he said were “happy” with it. 

On crime he said it would be “very difficult” to refuse an application on the basis it “could encourage people to go into crime”. 

Cllr Slade replied: “My concern isn’t they would be perpetrating crime, rather they would be victims of crime.” 

On the designation of the area as a “strategic action area” for a canalside development Cllr Slade said: “Provision of a residential home is simply not one of those elements.” 

He also said he was concerned the council was “cherry picking” what developments could be approved along the canal and said: “Putting a children’s residential home in the middle of the area will deter developers”. 

Mr Lewis said there are no current proposals to develop the canal quarter and approving the application wouldn’t prevent that and waiting for proposals could mean it wouldn’t approve any applications in the area “for many years”. 

Pontypool Fawr Labour member Gaynor James proposed the committee approve the change of use application, with the extension, and said: “I think this is a lovely location and is well needed in the community.” 

The application was passed with 10 committee members voting in favour and just Cllr Slade against it.