An application to convert a detached house into a children's home in an upmarket street has been approved despite a backlash from neighbours.
The detached house, on Ringley Road in Whitefield, is worth an estimated £1.5m. The district is dubbed 'millionaire's row' by many residents in the town.
Bury council's planning committee considered an application by Titan Holdings Corporation Ltd to change the use of the six-bedroom property to a children's residential care home.
The conversion would create four children's bedrooms and two staff bedrooms and includes changing the existing ground floor snug into an office.
The home will accommodate a maximum of four children under the age of 18 supported by staff trained to 'Ofsted standards' providing 24-hour supervision.
There would be six employees – four full-time and two part time.
The house was marketed in 2024 with a price of £1.475m but did not sell.
The tree-lined road on which the property sits has detached homes with values rising to above £3m.
The average price of property on Ringley Road is £1.09m according to the MoveMarket.
The council received 94 objections to the proposal many of which pointed out the distance from Ringley Road to amenities and parkland.
Other objectors stated fears of anti-social behaviour if the change of use was granted.
One said: "The properties in this area are of high value and should not be affected by troublesome individuals who will bring disturbance and anti-social behaviour to the area."
Prior to the planning meeting, the level of opposition among locals was so strong, it was understood residents discussed trying to buy the property to stop the plan, and on a WhatsApp group have mooted getting private security in the area stepped up if the plan is given the go-ahead.
The plan was also opposed by ward councillor Russell Bernstein who addressed the committee.
He said: "The design and access statement states that the children would have complex and traumatic experiences with challenging behaviour.
"In this quiet area, there is likely to increase the risk of anti-social behaviour, where there are a number of older residents and this perception would create unnecessary distress.
"I'm concerned whether this is the best place for the children.
"There are no facilities in the centre of Whitefield near the proposed home that the children could independently access."
A planning report but before councillors described the proposal as representing 'a low-intensity residential use, comparable in scale and character to a typical family home... staffed by a small, consistent team and supervised to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding community'.
Greater Manchester Police did not provide comments to the council about the plans.
Members of the committee heard that the property was currently semi-derelict and there had been recent occasions of trespassers going into the house and grounds via neighbours' gardens.
However, the committee was told by legal counsel that any fears of crime and anti-social behaviour in the future were 'hypothetical' and not evidence based and so it would be difficult to take that into account.
Coun Jackie Harris, said: "As councillors all of us are corporate parents.
"We have a statutory duty to look after children in our care.
"We have not been presented with an actual material consideration on why this should be turned down.
"There will be four children who will seemingly be very well supervised.
"I do understand the strength of feeling about this but it's all supposition."
The committee unanimously voted to approved the plans.
