A divisive scheme to replace a disused care home with two sets of flats has been rejected.

Planning committee councillors voted seven to three to refuse the application for the Grove Villa site in Deal.

This was on the grounds that the scheme, because of its size and design, "fails to respond positively to the prevailing character and setting of the site".

Cllr Trevor Bond also raised concerns about parking, saying there was already too little space.

He told the Dover District Council meeting: "That is the biggest issue. Parking is fully occupied all along. It is totally inadequate

"For this reason alone I cannot support this application."

The proposal for the site in Mill Road was to knock down a care home, which has been vacant for three years, and replace it with 28 homes.

The issue had split residents down the middle, with 96 throwing their support behind the scheme, and 90 objecting.

Those responding favourably said more housing is needed as local people are struggling to get on the property ladder.

They said the proposal was not a major build and would reuse a derelict site.

Those against said it was an overdevelopment which would worsen the area’s traffic problems and increase parking pressures.

Opponents said the care home could be converted to family homes rather than be demolished, adding that its existing buildings are not derelict.

"If Dover District Council allows this monstrosity to go ahead it will be a complete travesty...”

The responses were published on Dover District Council’s planning portal.

Resident Joanna Sumner was among those objecting.

She wrote: “Parking is a big issue in this area. Sometimes we have to park over a hundred metres away from our house. This development would make parking a major issue. Also the flats will look out of place considering the height of the adjacent properties.”

Christine Odell said: “The design does not in any way reflect the character of the buildings of Deal.

“The residents of Deal are proud of the architecture in the town and if Dover District Council allows this monstrosity to go ahead it will be a complete travesty.”

Stuart Keir added: “The proposed three-storey building is far too high for this location and the monolithic block design of flats would be forbidding and overbearing. The scheme totally ignores both the scale of the existing Mill Road facing buildings and their current densities behind.”

But Jurgita Deveikiene was in favour of the application, writing: “I support building new homes in the area because we need more.”

The developments would also have replaced a pair of vacant family-sized homes on the land.

Applicant Impact Developments Deal Ltd wanted the main set of flats as a three-storey block with eight one-bed homes and eight two-beds. There would also have been 12 one-bed supported living units in a one- to two- storey block.

Kent County Council’s highways department had no objections, provided there was sufficient parking and cycle storage, and enough electric charging points.

Dover District Council planning officers recommended that councillors should approve the scheme.

Officers had said the plan would make good use of a brownfield site, was at an acceptable density and would help meet local housebuilding targets. They added that the larger block was a high standard of design.

The officers also said there were no highway safety objections from officials.

They added the development would not have significantly pushed up traffic or on-street parking demand as the developers were providing enough spaces.

But councillors voted seven to three to refuse the application on Thursday.

This was on the grounds that the scheme, because of its size and design, "fails to respond positively to the prevailing character and setting of the site".