Trafford Council has approved plans to convert former police offices in Altrincham into a residential children's home.
The application for 3 & 4 Barrington Close was granted planning permission on 8th October, allowing Altrincham Children's Care to transform the site into accommodation for up to five children under the age of 18.
The former police offices, which originally comprised a pair of semi-detached properties fronting Manchester Road, had been used for over two decades as administrative offices linked to the adjacent Altrincham Police Station.
The offices were sold at auction in April 2022 for £1,012,000.
The police station itself - which is not part of the plans - closed its public-facing counter in February 2017 following a review that found it was one of the least used in Greater Manchester.
The approved development will provide specialist residential care for children dealing with emotional and behavioural difficulties, particularly those who have experienced trauma that disrupted their ability to form secure attachments. The facility will also support children with special educational needs.
According to the operational plan submitted with the application, Barrington Close will operate with two members of staff on site at all times. The home will be fully registered with Ofsted under the supervision of a qualified registered manager.
"Our focus is on offering them the necessary resources and support to heal from the trauma they've faced, helping them recover both emotionally and mentally," the operational plan stated. "We are deeply committed to assisting our children in building resilience, overcoming future difficulties, and working towards a fulfilling life."
The conversion involves relatively minor external changes, including the installation of two first-floor windows at the rear elevation and amendments to the parking area to include an accessible parking space.
Internally, the ground floor will feature a study room, meeting room, staff areas, living room, kitchen-diner and one staff bedroom. The first floor will provide five en-suite bedrooms for the children and an additional staff bedroom.
The application attracted objections from seven neighbouring properties, raising concerns about potential noise impacts, disruption from staff changeovers, parking issues, and the effect on the residential character of the area.
However, planning officers concluded that the proposed use would not generate significantly more activity than if the building were converted back to two family homes, its original purpose. The council's report noted that the site's location meant there was already "plenty of general activity within the area".
Planning officer Tom Parkinson stated in his report: "The proposal would result in the creation of an additional housing unit... it is considered that it would make a positive contribution towards meeting this type of specialist housing need."
