A BID to convert a suburban house into a home to assess the parenting skills of troubled single mothers is set to be rejected.

Gryffin House Limited want to take over the property on Moorcroft in Lower Darwen.

The firm submitted a planning application to use in the house up to five families at a time for 12 weeks to perform ‘Residential Parenting Assessments’.

But Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning committee is set to turn down the scheme when it meets in Thursday night.

The application will be considered by councillors because the applicant Raeece Sulaman-Butt Lower Darwen is a relative of a council employee and the receipt of a significant number of 23

public objections.

They complain about :

 transport impacts;

 noise nuisance;

 anti-social behaviour;

 change in character arising from a commercial use; and

 insufficient outdoor space.

Blackburn South and Lower Darwen ward's Cllr John Slater tells the committee:"I and my fellow councillors object to this application most strongly and so do all our residents who live there."

The council’s children’s service’s consultee has also offered an objection that the local authority area cannot support the likely impacts arising on public services.

A planning officer's report recommending refusal says: "The site relates to a detached dwelling house located within the urban boundary of Darwen.

"The property is flanked by dwellings to the sides and rear.

"The proposal involves robust, fair and evidence-based assessment of parenting skills and capabilities for up to four families at any one time, 24 hours a day, for an approximate 12 week duration.

"Family is generally defined as one mother and a new born child other than in exceptional circumstances when there may be a requirement for two parents and one child.

"When operating at full capacity, the property would home eight people (four adults and four children), though exceptionally those numbers could increase to 10 (six adults and four children).

"There is an existing Family Assessment Unit within Blackburn with Darwen’s boundary to which the council routinely refer to.

"The development, by virtue of a significant increase in on-street activity and within the building, would erode the quiet residential street character.

"Its failure to demonstrate a need arising from the requirements of people with a defined association with Blackburn with Darwen; its nature and scale failing to align with the council’s commissioning strategies; and an unwarranted increase in the level of demand for public support services, to the extent that those services would deteriorate for existing users, is contrary to the requirements of the Local Plan."