GORNAL Wood residents are up in arms about plans to set up a children's home on their doorstep.

Horizon Care & Education want to place four emotionally vulnerable and behaviourally challenging youngsters in a house on Water Road.

The company aim to provide a "welcoming and homely environment" for the children, who will be no older than 17, and has applied to Dudley Council for a Lawful Development Certificate, to ensure that the existing use of the property is lawful for planning purposes and does not require planning permission.

But concerned neighbours say they are "pursuing every avenue to stop the redevelopment from taking place".

Kate Kelly, who lives nearby, said: "The proposal really concerns us, as care homes of this nature are predominantly places that house children that have come from troubled backgrounds."

She said that more than 500 people have signed a petition objecting to the plan due to worries about anti-social behaviour, damage to property, negative impact on house prices and increased traffic and parking problems on the narrow, single access road.

Emma Millward, whose property would back onto the children's home, told the News that it was the lack of communication that residents found concerning.

She said: "We weren't notified, we found out about it by chance and were very surprised. It seems to have been a bit cloak and dagger. We let the other residents know and then started the petition."

The mother-of-one added: "We already suffer from an overspill of anti-social behaviour from the village and this will be vulnerable children they will be putting in this home, is it the right place for them?

"Especially when they the surrounding properties are occupied by young families and lone elderly people."

Barry Eannetta, operations director at Horizon, said there was no attempt to "come in under the radar".

He said the company ran 34 children's homes and there was "no evidence" to suggest there had been a rise in anti-social behaviour in the surrounding areas as a result, adding: "We have a very strong, established record."

He said many of the youngsters being cared for had "felt rejection through no fault of their own" and were often "discriminated against and marginalised" because of their background but homes in areas such as Water Road gave them "the best chance of transformation into early adulthood" and were staffed 24/7.

Mr Eannetta added that there would be no impact on residents' parking amenities as there would be provisions on-site.

A meeting with immediate neighbours had been earmarked for Monday evening, to show them around the property and discuss any concerns.

But the meeting didn't happen as Mr Eannetta said after being made aware of the campaign and posts on social media, there were no assurances that there would not be a large crowd, adding: "We wanted to keep it organised, we couldn't control a large gathering, an open transparent discussion wouldn't have been possible."

He said representatives were open to making alternative arrangements to answer people's questions "in a more structured way".