Plans to turn a family house into a children’s care home have been given the go-ahead despite allegations of troubled youngsters carrying knives and lobbing bricks.

South Gloucestershire councillors approved the proposals for the house in Inglestone Road, Wickwar, which has been used for emergency accommodation for young people since March last year, after hearing there was a shortage of foster parents.

The owners, Karen and Colin Dooley, have fostered many children at their house since 2002 and, following placements from Gloucestershire County Council in 2018, applied for a change of use so it could become an Ofsted-registered children’s residential home.

South Gloucestershire development management committee members went with officers’ advice to approve the proposals, in the face of 45 letters of objection.

Neighbour Ken Stout told the meeting on Thursday, March 21, that the peaceful, 15-year coexistence between the foster home and the community had been shattered since it began accepting emergency placements.

He said: “There was a violent assault on a care worker, pushed to the ground in the street outside the property, and a knife-carrying absconder who turned up on the doorstep of a  neighbouring property claiming to be carrying it to protect himself from an assault by staff.

“A brick which was lobbed into the path, narrowly missing the head of my neighbour’s young son.”

Mr Stout said children had “yelled obscenities” from the house at passers-by and a youngster was handcuffed by police in a “disturbing and noisy scene of restraint”.

“One family adjacent has had to stop their child playing in the garden and has even had to relocate them to another bedroom,” he said.

“The council should put the welfare of residents first, above the needs of out-of-borough young people.”

Social worker Charliejo Dooley, manager of Inspyre Plus, which is based at the house, said they had changed their procedures in the light of the police incidents.

A report to the committee said the problems were largely down to one child last summer who had since been removed, and that there were only two incidents reported to the police between September and December.

Ms Dooley told members: “The premises are not a prison. It’s a five-bedroom house.

“The community should and can play a role supporting children in care.

“They should expect the same standards they would want for their own children, and tackle their out-of-sight, out-of-mind culture.”

Cllr Marian Gilpin, whose Ladden Brook ward covers Wickwar and who referred the application to the committee, said: “Local councils have an obligation to take into care children whose lives have been torn apart.

“Because Wickwar is a relatively small community, the young residents will not be subjected to the dangerous social pressures in our inner cities where the vulnerable can be sucked into gangs.

“A safe home with proper management and fully qualified staff is the right answer for these young people.

“It will not be used for emergency placements, it will be for permanent places for three children.”

But Cllr Roger Avenin said: “I have great sympathy for looked-after children but I would ask, is this the right location? A quiet residential street and a relatively quiet village.

“I have great reservations in accepting something where you have such a number of objectors.”

Officers said there were no reasons to refuse the proposals on planning grounds, and Wickwar Parish Council was in support.

Members voted in favour, with Cllr Avenin voting against.