To: Somerset Council and Relevant Authorities

The residents of Hatch Beauchamp, are deeply concerned about the recent plans to convert the old rectory, now referred to as Westford House, into a children's home managed by Homes2Inspire. We urge Somerset Council to pause this development until proper community consultation has taken place and all necessary planning approvals have been secured.

Our key concerns include:

• Lack of Community Consultation and Transparency: The decision to inform only those within a 30-meter radius of the property seems sneaky and deliberate, aiming to avoid wider community awareness and input. The change of the property's name and postcode appears to be an attempt to obscure its identity and the nature of its proposed use.
• Potential Devaluation of Property: The introduction of a children's home could negatively impact local property values, affecting the investments of long-standing residents.
• Increased Traffic and Noise: Staff will likely need to take night shifts, bringing traffic and noise into the village at all hours. Previous planning applications for new homes on Station Road were denied due to access issues for emergency services, which will be a problem for Westford House too.
• Safety Concerns: The average age of children in Homes2Inspire homes is around 15, with the youngest being 6. This raises safety concerns for our community, especially given reports of community orders and ASBOs in other areas where such homes are located. There is also a concern regarding drug abuse and dealers targeting children at the home, which also poses a threat to our existing community of teenagers.
• Lack of Research on Homes2Inspire: Homes2Inspire has an average 3-star rating on popular review sites, with reports from other rural areas mentioning significant community disruption.
• Requirement for Planning Approval: Even if planning permission is not required for the building itself, the change of use to a business must go through the proper planning channels. This step appears to have been overlooked.

We call upon Somerset Council to:

Halt the development of Westford House until a thorough and transparent community consultation process has been conducted.
Ensure that all necessary planning approvals, including for change of use, are obtained before any further work is undertaken.
Address the community's concerns regarding property value, safety, traffic, and noise.