A controversial scheme to turn a house into a care home for children is up for approval by the council a month after the decision was deferred.

The proposal for a house on Threxton Place was submitted last year and was scheduled for consideration by a Planning Committee last month.

The controversial scheme is to turn a house into a care home for children 'in need of additional care'. There are no external changes or internal changes on site.

But dozens of residents are opposed to the proposal, 10 of whom wrote to the council and around 40 of whom put their name to a petition about the application.

Their concerns range from a rise in anti-social behaviour and crime to the effect on the prices of properties in the area and the conditions for the children themselves, with some suggestions the house is rat-infested.

A report to the Planning Committee reminded members some of these concerns are not planning considerations and recommended the application for approval.

READ MORE: Bolton: Plans for two children's care homes up for approval.

However the decision was deferred to this week to allow Bolton Council's children's services to comment.

The children's services team has expressed its own concerns about the application – saying the house on Threxton Place is 'not suitable' – and the applicant, saying Trust Care Services Ltd has 'no history of leading services which provide complex care to children'.

But the position of the report to the Planning Committee is still to recommend the application for approval.

A report reads: "The proposed care home is considered to be acceptable in principle in this location and no unacceptable harm has been identified in respect of crime, the residential amenity of surrounding occupiers, or the living conditions of the future occupiers. 

"The highways and parking proposals are also considered acceptable, and the recommendation is therefore to grant planning permission," it adds.

The Planning Committee meets at the town hall this week.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.