Hartlepool Home Could Become 24-Hour Children’s Care Facility Under New Plans..
Updated: Sep 15
Plans Submitted to Turn Hartlepool Family Home Into Children’s Care Home...
9th Sep 2026
Plans have been submitted to convert a four-bedroom semi-detached property in Hartlepool into a small children’s residential care home accommodating two young people.
The proposal for 20 Grantham Avenue, Hartlepool, could see the properties use changed from a conventional dwelling to a children’s care home. According to the planning statement, the home would provide accommodation for two children with staff present around the clock.
Two children with 24-hour staffing
Documents submitted in support of the scheme state that at least two members of care staff would be on site at any one time, operating 12-hour shifts.
Day staff would work between 8am and 8pm, with the night shift running from 8pm until 8am. Two staff would remain overnight, with bedrooms allocated for them inside the property.
There would also be around a 30-minute handover period at each shift change, meaning incoming and outgoing members of staff could briefly be at the property at the same time.
One child would occupy a rear bedroom on the first floor, while the second would use the property's existing converted roof-space bedroom. The two front-facing first-floor bedrooms would be used as overnight accommodation for staff.
The care home would be required to operate under the regulatory framework covering children's residential care, with the planning statement saying it would be registered with and inspected by Ofsted and overseen by a qualified registered manager.
Property sits inside conservation area
One potentially significant consideration for planners is that Grantham Avenue in Hartlepool falls within Hartlepool's Grange Conservation Area. The property itself is not listed, but the planning documents describe it as making a positive contribution to the area's residential character.
However, the applicant argues that the change of use would have no detrimental heritage impact because there would be no external alterations to the house.
The accompanying heritage assessment says the elevations, roofscape, windows, boundaries and existing parking would remain intact and concludes that the proposal would cause no harm to the character or appearance of the conservation area.
What about traffic and parking?
Parking and vehicle movements are another issue likely to be considered when determining the application, with the property already having off-street parking said to be capable of accommodating up to three vehicles, which would be retained for staff.
The planning statement argues that vehicle movements would not materially exceed those associated with an ordinary family home., with most regular traffic movements expected around staff shift changes at 8am and 8pm, although could also be visits from family members, social workers, health professionals and other people involved in the children's care.
The applicant argues that the scale of the operation — just two resident children — means it should remain compatible with the surrounding residential neighbourhood.
Applicant says scheme would help keep children in Hartlepool
A major part of the case being put forward for approval centres on the claimed social benefit of providing more children's care places locally.
The planning statement says locally based placements could reduce the need for Hartlepool children to be sent to residential care outside the borough, something it says can disrupt education, family contact and existing community connections.
The proposed home would also create employment for care workers and a registered manager, alongside indirect spending on maintenance, professional services, food and other supplies.
Developers describe the proposal as providing a "domestic-scale" care environment rather than a larger institutional setting.
A decision on the plans is expected sometime in early November 2026
