Planners have rejected a proposal for a children's care home in a village near Grantham.

Mrs Demetra Nottage of Pasture View Nurturing Homes Ltd sought to a change of use for Greyhound Cottage in Main Street, Woolsthorpe By Belvoir but her application was turned down by South Kesteven District Council.

Her application said: "We have taken on a lease of the house detailed in the application and have the permission of the owners of the property to apply for a change of use.

"It currently has consent as a dwelling house. We are proposing a change of use to C2 residential institution due to the fact that we want to use the house for the purpose of a Children's care home for children aged 0-18 years."

She continued: "This is as an extension of our current provision and the numbers of children that we can accommodate, as we also have the adjacent property for the same purpose. It will be staffed 24/7, which consists of 5 adults and a maximum of 4 children at any one time.

"Vehicles from staff and visitors will be accommodated by the gated private drive of the house which can cater for up to 4 vehicles and the immediate off road parking directly outside the property which will accommodate a further 4/5 vehicles,so we have considerably more parking than needed.

"We also have permission to use the village hall/doctors for parking. No building or structural work [needed] , but [we] will comply with fire and statutory regulations."

The house is currently unoccupied and the change of use application attracted six letters of representation following public consultation from SKDC.

The letters raised objections to the application as well as the existing home, noise and disturbance, anti-social behaviour and parking problems and staff at existing home appearing unable to cope.

A council report said on its own, the proposal would not have a significant adverse impact on the area, but with there being another home next door, it would.

"If granted consent it is considered this would result in a concentration of residential children's care homes which would give rise to levels of noise and disturbance having an adverse impact on the residential amenities of occupiers of adjoining and nearby residential properies."

Recommending refusal, it concluded: "On balance it is considered that this proposal, which would result in two residential children's care homes in the village, would have an adverse impact upon the character of the area and result in levels of noise and disturbance detrimental to the residential amenities of occupiers of adjoining and nearby residential properties, and contrary to [council planning policy]."