New Children’s Home Set To Open In Newport Amid ‘Critical Need’ For Care Facilities

A new children’s home is set to open in Newport after plans were given the green light by the Isle of Wight Council.

Next Wave Care Group (NWCG) has secured permission to convert a three-bedroom house in East Newport, providing much-needed local care places for Island children.

The council has described the situation as a “critical need”, with a shortage of children’s homes meaning many young people currently have to be placed in care facilities on the mainland.

This follows the approval of another NWCG home in Sandown earlier this year.

The new home will house up to three children, with bedrooms, a staff room, kitchen/diner, two lounges — including one designed as a sensory space — and bathrooms. Importantly, planners emphasised that the property will retain the look and feel of a family home, rather than an institutional setting.

While some residents have expressed concerns about the location, particularly its proximity to a homeless shelter, others have welcomed the plans.

Local resident Aden Garrett said the proposal “sounds like a lovely idea” but added he hoped the children would not face any distress from anti-social behaviour nearby.

In its decision, the council’s planning report recognised a clear and urgent demand for children’s care on the Island, adding that the property was well-suited to the proposed use.