A house in Runcorn will be converted into a children's home after plans were given the green light.

Halton Council's planning department has granted a certificate of lawful development to change the house on Summer Lane into an Ofsted registered home for looked after children aged eight-17.

The application was submitted by not-for-profit Community Interest Company Juno and is set to provide accommodation for up to three children, along with staff who will be on shift 24-hours-a-day.  There are no structural changes planned to the building.

Supported by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Wirral Council and a network of what it said are 'socially-minded grant funders and investors', Juno's first two homes opened in The Wirral in 2023 and 2024, with another due to open there in 2025, with eight homes planned over the next five years. The application said the Liverpool-based company had been working with Halton Council’s children’s services department which it said was 'satisfied' with the location of the planned new property.

Documents submitted in support said the new home would enable a ‘stable family setting close to good educational and community-based opportunities’.

The documents said the number of staff in the home at any given time would not normally exceed three, one of which would be the manager who generally works between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

It added: "We are especially keen for our homes to appear no differently to any regular home. We ensure they are smart, tidy, well maintained and well equipped to operate in the same way as any normal household.

"There will be a family kitchen where staff together with children can prepare meals and snacks. There will be a dining room where the table can be set for eating meals together as a household. The house will also be supported by a separate utility room equipped with laundry facilities and storage units for household goods."

The house is spread across two floors and on the ground floor there are three rooms, kitchen, store room, WC, and utility room. On the first floor there are four bedrooms, plus a communal bathroom.

In a decision letter, planners said the building did not require planning permission as there were no structural changes planned, adding that the change of use was lawful.