Olton residents say they "don't want any more" children's homes in their area after alleged issues including late night fireworks at one approved by Solihull planners last year.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) recently reported, a proposal for a children's home in Wilmcote Road was examined at the latest meeting of the council's planning committee.

Laura Mulcany, who lives in Bryanston Road, told the committee: "The reason I'm here, I feel quite passionately – there is another children's home in the vicinity.

"It is directly behind my house on Stoner Park Road. We object to this as we now know children who are much older can contribute to anti-social behaviour.

"I have experienced numerous mornings in the middle of the week woken up at 4am because there are fireworks being set off or a party."

The Wilmcote Road proposal went on to get the green light after planning agent Chintan Shah said it would operate "almost identically" to a family home and highlighted officer's planning assessment it "would not result in much harm."

Residents in Olton told the LDRS they were disappointed in that decision, and feared even more applications now coming forward.

A Bryanston Road resident said: "It (the fireworks) are always around midnight.

"I'm worried about the new one now. It's really bad, all the neighbours are against – one has a new baby."

Another resident said: "The Stonor Park Road issues have been going on for 18 months.

"There is no rhyme or reason (for the fireworks) – it's just randomly happening and you hear laughing, joking, shouting."

A neighbour said: "We have heard parties at around 1am.

"It's been enough to wake us up and we are sleeping at the front of the house.

"The new one might be fine – but there are concerns."

George Hutchin, who has lived in Wilmcote Road for more than 20 years, said: "We are disappointed this new one got through. It's in the wrong location.

"We don't want it, we don't want any more. The area has changed from when we first moved in.

"The police objected, and no one took any notice of it.

"We hear the fireworks, anytime of the night and shouting (from the Stonor Park Road home).

"There's a place in Warwick Road, it has been derelict for years – why can't the kids live there?"

A neighbour said: "My main concern is that the (Wilmcote Road) one has gone through planning but they don't say who the operator is going to be.

"The welfare of children is not at the centre.

"Alarms bells ring when the police are against it."

A Stonor Park Road resident said: "There have been fireworks on random dates.

"It's great to have provision for the children, but it needs to be clear who is running it when it goes through planning."

In April, Liberal Democrat councillor Laura McCarthy brought forward a motion for debate looking to strengthen planning policy on children's homes with a requirement to demonstrate a clear 'statement of purpose' and identify the proposed Ofsted-registered provider.

That motion is set to be considered at a future meeting of the authority's children's services and education scrutiny board.

The LDRS approached the Stonor Park Road children's home for comment.