A home first
Domestic, welcoming and grounded in everyday life.
Specialist planning and architectural support
Planning applications for children’s homes
Helping responsible providers create safe, welcoming and well-integrated homes where children and young people can feel secure, supported and part of a community.
- Specialist C2 planning experience
- Child-centred design at the heart
- Clear advice from first review to decision
Principles guiding our work
Safe and secure
Safeguarding supported without an institutional feel.
Support and stability
Space for routines, relationships and belonging.
Connected
Part of a neighbourhood and close to essential services.
Clear and considered
Accurate planning information, prepared with care.
Child-centred design
A home that supports better outcomes
Every child deserves a home where they can feel safe, valued and supported. The environment should make room for wellbeing, dignity and the familiar rhythms of everyday life.
Comfortable bedrooms can support privacy and rest, while welcoming kitchens, shared rooms and gardens create opportunities for meals, conversation, play and positive relationships. Safeguarding and supervision remain essential, but the building should provide safety without feeling clinical or controlled.
Discuss the needs of a potential home
Our process
A careful route from first review to planning decision.
Each stage connects the needs of the home with the planning evidence required to explain it clearly.
- 1Understand
Understand the children and the care model
We begin with the intended purpose of the home, the children it is expected to support and the day-to-day care arrangements. This helps ensure that the property and proposed layout respond to real needs rather than simply fitting a planning label.
- 2Review
Review the property before commitment
We assess the location, planning history, existing lawful use, internal layout, outdoor space, parking and likely technical constraints. This can be completed before purchase or lease where access and information are available.
- 3Design
Develop a sensitive residential design
The layout is developed as a home: comfortable bedrooms, welcoming shared rooms, calm circulation, appropriate staff areas and safe access to outdoor space, while avoiding an unnecessarily institutional character.
- 4Prepare
Prepare a clear and honest planning case
We coordinate the drawings and supporting information so the local authority can understand the actual scale, operation and impacts of the proposal. The submission should address planning matters without disclosing unnecessary personal information about children.
- 5Support
Support the application through determination
We submit and monitor the application, respond to reasonable officer questions and help the provider present accurate information where clarification is needed.
Planning assessment
What the local authority may consider
A strong submission explains the real operation of the home clearly and proportionately, while protecting the privacy of the children who may live there.
This information helps an officer understand the proposal on its own facts. It should be accurate, relevant and safeguarding-conscious.
- Existing lawful use
- Number and needs of the children who may live there
- Staffing arrangements, shift patterns and overnight staff
- Visitors, deliveries, parking and vehicle movements
- Noise, privacy and residential amenity
- Use of gardens and outdoor areas
- Physical alterations to the property
- Refuse and cycle storage
- Local planning policy, planning history and relevant conditions
- Whether the proposal would amount to a material change of use
Property suitability
Assessing a property before you commit
Suitability depends on the children’s needs, the proposed care model, the location and the building itself. An early review can identify planning, layout and technical concerns before purchase or lease.
Request an initial property reviewDomestic character
A safe, calm building that reads and functions as a cared-for home.
Bedroom privacy and dignity
Comfortable personal space that supports rest, choice and a sense of ownership.
Welcoming shared spaces
Rooms for meals, conversation, play, study and familiar daily routines.
Safe outdoor space
A secure, usable garden or outdoor area for fresh air and recreation.
Suitable staff support areas
Practical support and supervision arranged discreetly within a domestic setting.
Access to essential services
Reasonable connections to education, healthcare, recreation and local life.
Specialist planning knowledge
Practical knowledge. Better decisions.
We apply planning, residential design and change-of-use experience to each property individually, considering planning history, local policy, surrounding context, layout and operational information.
Supporting documents
Clear information for a well-understood proposal
The submission should give the authority enough information to assess the property and its proposed operation without disclosing unnecessary personal information about children.
Planning drawingsAccurate existing and proposed plans, elevations and site information.
Design and Access StatementA proportionate design narrative where local requirements make one necessary.
Operational informationClear, safeguarding-conscious information about how the home would function.
Amenity assessmentConsideration of privacy, noise, gardens and relationships with nearby homes.
Policy and precedentPlanning history, development-plan policy and relevant case-specific context.
Consultation supportAccurate responses to proportionate questions from consultees and neighbours.
Planning negotiationConstructive liaison with the planning officer as the application progresses.
Post-decision supportAdvice on conditions, revisions or next steps following the authority’s decision.
The precise submission requirements vary between local authorities and depend on the property, planning history, proposed operation and validation checklist.
Neighbours and community
Clear information and respectful engagement
Questions or concerns should be addressed calmly, accurately and without presenting either children or neighbouring residents as a problem.
Good planning information can explain the actual scale and operation of the home, distinguish legitimate planning considerations from unsupported assumptions and show how relevant amenity matters have been considered. Information about privacy and safeguarding should remain proportionate.
Important distinctions
Related processes, considered clearly
Planning is one part of establishing a suitable children’s home. Other regulatory and technical responsibilities remain separate.
The facts of the property determine the route.
This page provides general guidance, not property-specific legal advice. The lawful use, care model, planning history, local policy and proposed operation must be assessed together. Planning, Building Regulations and registration are separate systems, and planning permission cannot be guaranteed.
Refused, retrospective or uncertain proposals
We can review applications, enforcement concerns, refusals and disputed use classes. The appropriate route may be a revised submission, lawful-development application, appeal or clearer operational evidence.
Separate processes that should be coordinated.
Planning approval does not provide Ofsted registration, and Ofsted registration does not replace planning permission. Current Ofsted guidance requires applicants to address the planning status of the property and recommends securing any required permission before applying.
Read the current Ofsted application guidanceStart with a careful property review.
We can assess the planning history, existing layout, location and likely approval route before you commit to an application, purchase or lease.
Book a consultation 07720 813035Frequently asked questions
Children’s-home planning questions.
Does every children’s home require C2 planning permission?
No. The planning position depends on the property’s existing lawful use and the particular nature and intensity of the proposed operation. The number of children is relevant, but it is not the only consideration. A property-specific assessment should be completed before relying on either C2 or C3 use.
Can a children’s home operate within Use Class C3?
In some circumstances a small home may retain a C3 character, but this is highly dependent on how the household functions, the care arrangements and the planning facts of the case. Written confirmation from the local planning authority or a lawful-development application may be appropriate.
Should we assess a property before buying or leasing it?
Yes. An early review can identify planning risk, unsuitable layouts, parking constraints, nearby sensitivities and technical issues before a significant commitment is made. It cannot guarantee permission, but it can help avoid preventable problems.
What will the council normally want to understand?
The authority may need clear information about the number of children, staffing, shift changes, overnight arrangements, visitors, parking, deliveries, management, use of the garden and any physical alterations. The level of information should be proportionate and safeguarding-conscious.
Is planning permission the same as Ofsted registration?
No. Planning and Ofsted registration are separate processes. Current Ofsted guidance requires applicants to address the planning status of the property and recommends securing any required planning permission before applying for registration.
Can neighbours prevent a children’s home?
Neighbours may comment on a planning application, but the decision must be based on relevant planning considerations and the evidence relating to the specific proposal. A clear, respectful and accurate submission can help address misunderstandings while recognising legitimate amenity concerns.
Can Hepburn Architects help with a refused or retrospective application?
Yes. Hepburn Architects can review the decision notice, officer report, planning history and existing evidence, then advise whether clarification, redesign, resubmission, a lawful-development route or an appeal should be considered.
Do you also prepare Building Regulations drawings?
Yes, where separately appointed. Planning approval does not replace Building Regulations, fire-safety duties, accessibility requirements or the provider’s wider regulatory responsibilities.
Need to talk through your project?
Speak directly with Hepburn Architects about the property and proposed care model.