A new care home for dementia patients will replace a former convent in Deal, despite a swell of opposition.

The proposal for the new development comes from Boutique Care Homes, which took over the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Rectory Road, after it was put on the market for £3 million in 2023.

At a meeting last week, councillors from Dover District Council’s (DDC) unanimously voted in favour of the scheme, as it will provide much-needed dementia care.

Cllr James Back (Con) said: “This is a dementia home, and lots of care homes won't take dementia patients, so I think this is a really big plus.”

Ward councillor Jeff Loffman (Lab) added: “'It’s a much better conclusion than many houses being built in that area.

“The planning conditions, it seems to me, have been thoroughly met.

“When you think of employment and the likely care needed in the future for Deal, we have identified a need and I feel I cannot oppose the application at all.”

Boutique Care Homes, of Romford, east London, will demolish the existing buildings and create a home consisting of 83 bedrooms. In addition there will be seven bungalows.

The centre will include a bistro, hobby room, family lounge, and a lawn bowling green. There will also be a woodland walk and the grounds will have 60 more trees planted on top of the 250 existing ones.

The Local Plan asks for 990 additional spaces of registered care for housing those aged 65 and over between 2020 and 2040.

Cllr Helen Williams (Lab), also a ward councillor for the area, told the committee: “These are beds contributing to the 990 spaces needed.

“It’s a lot of beds needed so this is a good contribution.”

David Lobb, land director at Boutique Care Homes, told the meeting: “We've worked very closely with consultees and with the planning team and with the heritage officer and the trees officer.

“We've made some changes to the overall design from what was originally submitted based on the comments and objections we received from some.”

Construction is set to begin this summer, with the care home expected to open in late 2027.

It will create more than 80 full-time jobs and will be a 10 minutes walk to Deal High Street so residents can easily reach local shop and cafes.

The centre will be called Catherine Grove after Miss Catherine Boys, founder of the Deal Orphanage on Middle Street.

In 1870, at her request, Adèle Euphrasie Barbier, founder of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions, sent Sisters to continue her work.

It became a care home for elderly Sisters.

More than 150 years later, the current Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, selected Boutique Care Homes to take on the site after they moved out.

A total 70 people sent the council objections to the scheme, saying the new building would be too high and cause loss of privacy.

They also believed it would cause too much traffic and parking problems. Objectors added that the original building was attractive, was part of Deal’s history and should be preserved and listed.

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DDC planning officers recommended approval of the scheme.

They said the site was suitably located, including at a short distance from public transport. They stressed there were also no objections from Kent County Council’s highways department.

Boutique already has three care homes, including one in Broadstairs.