Sunderland Grace House respite replacement latest: Delay on Red Gables short breaks and day care centre after plans withdrawn

Together for Children (TfC), which delivers children’s services on behalf of Sunderland City Council, was recently involved in a planning application for a new centre at Red Gables, a five-bedroom detached property in East Rainton.

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families are expected to benefit from the facility, with the total cost of purchase and conversion estimated at £1.7million.

As a centre for daytime outreach, group activities and short breaks, TfC said the building had large grounds with space for play and development, and could offer therapy and overnight care, as well as hosting events.

The planning application was going through the council’s formal planning processes and a decision was expected, however progress has stalled after the city council withdrew the plans on Tuesday (July 16, 2024).

Sunderland City Council and Together for Children say there is a “legal technicality to resolve” before the planning application can be resubmitted for the short breaks care facility later this year.

The council’s previous autumn 2024 estimate for the centre to open now looks extremely unlikely, and questions remain over how long it will take for the council’s Red Gables project to become a reality.

This is because of requirements outside the planning system, including registration with children’s services watchdog Ofsted.

The planning application for the care facility followed the controversial loss of respite care services at Grace House, which ended in November, 2023, and previous campaigning by the families affected.

Councillors clashed over the issue at a City Hall debate in September, 2023, with city leaders at the time confirming they were looking for a suitable property for replacement care provision.

The Red Gables building was later purchased for TfC by Sunderland City Council, and a planning application for the new development was submitted days before Christmas in 2023.

Plans were previously welcomed by parents of disabled children and campaigners, but criticism remained over the time taken to acquire the building and the “stress and turmoil” caused during the interim period.

Following the end of short breaks work with the Grace House charity, it is understood that “interim arrangements” were put in place for families.

TfC, in a previous statement, said the new facility aimed to provide a “safe space for day, evening, overnight or weekend activities […] for the young people accessing the provision”.

This included making the home fully accessible for wheelchair users and adding new fencing around the garden, along with internal alterations to suit the needs of users such as accessible bathrooms, a new kitchen and a sensory room.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans, the application attracted around 280 comments, including 198 comments in support and 81 objections.

Following public objections raising concerns about the facility, including traffic impacts, minor amendments were made to the plans and additional information was provided on the council’s website.

A covering letter from the council’s planning agent uploaded in May, 2024, stressed there were “no material planning considerations for refusal” but that “it was important to the applicant that the views of local residents were considered as part of the proposals”.

A noise management plan, highways technical note and management plan for the proposed care facility were submitted, and minor physical amendments were made to the scheme to address concerns about vehicles accessing the site.

It was noted that the average number of staff at the facility at any one time would be four, but that a ‘worst-case’ scenario had been established of nine cars using the site during a “changeover” period.

Although the council stated this scenario “would never take place, as staff changeovers will be staggered and staff will be encouraged to make use of other modes of transport”, physical hardstanding at the site was increased “to provide additional comfort to residents”.

The changes aimed to “safely accommodate the parking, access and egress of nine vehicles (exiting the site in forward gear)”.

A planning statement previously submitted to council officials claimed the Red Gables project would “meet an identified need for safe and accessible short-term accommodation for children and young people with specific housing, health and social requirements, as well as providing support to their families”.

Following this week’s decision to withdraw the plans, a new planning application would need to be submitted, and consulted upon, before a decision on planning permission can be made.

When approached for comment, Sunderland City Council and TfC did not elaborate on specific time-scales for a new planning application, but confirmed it would be “re-presented” later this year.

Questions also remain over the “legal technicality” linked to the previous planning application.

A joint statement from Sunderland City Council and Together for Children said: “Everybody remains absolutely committed to ensuring that we get the best for all children in our city.

“This includes progressing plans for Red Gables as a centre for daytime outreach, group activities and short breaks.

“We have a legal technicality to resolve before we re-present the planning application later this year”.