A family home has been given the green light to be converted into a children's home – the fourth approved during a meeting full of similar applications.

The plan submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) in July was for the conversion of a three bedroom, semi detached home in Delrene Road.

The proposal was for it to become home to two children in care, aged between five and 17-years-old.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported, applicant Manawar Hussain had argued in his application there is "no unacceptable concentration or clustering" of children's homes in the immediate locality in Shirley.

The applicant said: "The level of activity, vehicle movements, and pattern of comings and goings will not be materially different from those of a typical family household.

"No adverse impact on residential amenity, highway safety, or the character of the area will result."

In a public consultation seven letters of objection were made raising issues over parking, highway safety and the character of the area changing.

And when the application went before the latest meeting of the authority's planning committee on September 9 ward councillor Prish Sharma said: "The planning statement asks you to take the applicant's own assurances about staffing, qualifications and safeguarding entirely on trust.

"This is not good for this kind of application.

"Along with all the residents, we are not asking this committee to say children's homes have no place in Shirley or in Solihull.

"If this committee is minded to approve it must at minimum attach robust conditions.

"Proof of Ofsted registration prior to occupation, evidence of operator's track record and financial standing and a safeguarding plan.

"I ask the committee to defer or refuse the application until safeguards are demonstrated, not assumed."

When the committee chairman Cllr Bob Grinsell opened the debate he said: "This is the fifth one (children's home application) tonight.

"I'm not sure there is anything in our remit to consider based on what Cllr Sharma stated."

Planning officer Jon Hallam said: "We have had a few of these, they have all raised the same issues.

"Cllr Sharma's concerns relate to safeguarding issues which are separate to the planning assessment."

Planning solicitor Arhamna Jafri added: "You can't put planning conditions on regarding Ofsted.

"We can't repeat what is governed by other responsible bodies."

Cllr James Bradley said: "I think all of us feel probably there is an ideal set of legislation we would like to see regarding these, that is not the legislation we sit under.

"It would be nice to have Ofsted and planning linked up so we have approved things at the point planning permission is requested.

"We know who it (the operator) will be and have permission from Ofsted.

"But it's not the system we are operating under. We can only consider what we can consider."

When the chairman moved to the vote the scheme was approved with five committee members voting in favour, one against and two abstentions.

The item came at the end of a five hour long meeting where children's homes in Millsons Wood, Olton and Castle Bromwich were also approved with a decision delayed on a fourth in Shirley.