A decision on controversial plans to convert a seven-bedroom house in the south of Powys into a private children’s residential care home, has been postponed.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning committee on Monday, October 14, councillors received an application from Portsmouth-based Fair Ways Community Benefit Society for Cefnmeusydd, Morgan Street in Caehopkin.

The village is to the east of Abercrave and on the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park.

If approved, up to four children and young people aged between six and 18 years old would live at the property.

Local county councillor David Thomas told the committee that there are already four children’s homes in the area - two are private and two are Powys council ones.

Cllr Thomas said that Dyfed-Powys Police had raised concerns about the proposal.

Cllr Thomas said: “The police in their crime report for the ward stated that the figures don’t include 85 missing persons reports they have had to respond to.”

Most of these, according to Cllr Thomas, are about children going missing from care homes.

Cllr Thomas said: “The police are concerned that they cannot cope with an increase of demand.

“It’s already demonstrated that the type of resource needed is exhausted in Tawe Uchaf – there are already enough care homes here.”

The application has caused uproar in Caehopkin, which included a stormy public meeting between villagers and Fair Ways.

Fair Ways chief executive Mac McHugh said that the charity had not expected the “high level of objections” to the project voiced by villagers at a “disastrous” public meeting.

Mr McHugh said: “Much has been made of our lack of engagement since then.

“It was evident following the meeting there were many in the community who would object no matter what we said or did.

“If this is granted that’s when our engagement will start.

“I don’t doubt that many in the village will not want us there, but we have long standing objectives to become an accepted part of the community.”

He believed that this could be the case in Caehopkin as Fair Ways had managed to turn the tide of public opinion on their projects in other parts of the UK which had started off negatively.

Development management team leader Gemma Bufton recommended the councillors approve the application and reminded them that children “can already live in this setting.”

She explained that antisocial behaviour could still be experienced by neighbours if someone else lived there.

“There’s nothing to say that these units do increase antisocial behaviour,” said Ms Bufton.

In responses to questions from Cllr Huw Williams over the number of Powys children living in these care homes in the vicinity of Caehopkin, Ms Bufton stressed that the information was “outside” the planning process.

Ms Bufton told the committee that it would be difficult to find out that information from “private” care homes.

Cllr Gareth E Jones: “I think we should defer a decision on this as we don’t have enough information.

“My concern is we have too many homes in this area already.”

Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “It’s obvious there are strong feelings in the community about this proposal.”

He added it was “not good enough” for Fair Ways to say they would start talking to villagers once they have planning permission.

Cllr Vaughan put forward a motion for the committee to defer the application,

The motion to defer went to a vote and 11 councillors supported this, two voted against deferral and one abstained.

The application will return to committee at a future date.