AN application for a certificate of lawfulness to use a property as a children's home has been drawn up.

The application for a bungalow in Penny Lane, Haydock to be used for the care of two young people has been sent in to the council.

A certificate of lawfulness is a means of obtaining a decision from a planning authority that a proposed use or works does not require planning permission.

It says the site is a modern detached three-bedroom bungalow". It adds that "the application seeks to establish that the premises (C3) can be used for the care of two young persons under the age of 18, with 24-hour supervision without the need for planning permission to be granted as the use is lawful".

It says the young people "would be looked after by carers, drawn from a small pool of staff assigned to the dwelling, operating on a shift basis.

"There would usually be no more than two carers present during the daytime with no more than two carers present overnight".

Operational activity would see "two staff members being there all the time 24/7".

It adds that in terms of comings and goings, these would "not appear to be materially different from the pattern exhibited by a traditional small family".

A determination deadline has been set for February 16.