Hopes have been restored for the opening of a "mothballed" Kent dementia village.

Dover's Harmonia Village will offer support for 30 elderly people living with dementia, helping them to live happier and healthier lives in the community.

The site – the first of its kind in the UK – was due to open in 2020, at the back of Buckland Hopsital, however has been delayed due to the pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Specialist staff have been redeployed to care for patients in other areas in the NHS over the last two years.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, who own the land sited at the back of Buckland Hospital, vowed to transform the housing site into a dementia-friendly village.

A spokesman for East Kent Hospitals said: "The premises was not able to open as a dementia village due to the pandemic and staff were redeployed to care for patients in other areas.

"We are now working on a plan to bring the dementia village back in its intended format.”

Last week, Kent County Council's (KCC) health scrutiny committee called for the opening of the village during a public meeting in County Hall, Maidstone.

Labour county councillor Karen Constantine (Lab) said: "We have a fully all singing and dancing facility, which has essentially been mothballed."

The Ramsgate member added: “We are talking about wanting to do better for people with dementia and their families and carers and yet here we had a facility ready to go, which we had staffed, that is now being left unused.”

Ashford county councillor Paul Bartlett (Con), KCC’s health scrutiny chair, added: “We have got these assets. If we need them, we should use them.

“It’s a great shame, given the investment, why the dementia village is not being used.”

Their comments were made in front of a panel of Kent NHS representatives.

Building work started at Harmonia in November 2018. It was due to open in the spring of 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Harmonia Village, in Coombe Valley Road, has six houses, each with en-suite bedrooms for five residents that are equipped to meet people’s needs.

When open, residents will receive care available 24 hours a day by a skilled team of nurses and carers.

The hub will be at the heart of the village, with a café and regular activities for the local community.

There will also be a guest house with six en-suite bedrooms, fully equipped for people living with dementia, so they see their friends and family for a break.

Dementia villages, pioneered in Holland, bring a community feel, encouraging social events and preserving independence by having individual living spaces.

Cllr Andrew Kennedy (Con), who is KCC's public health chair, suggested Kent follow the Dutch model.

Speaking to the health scrutiny panel, he said: "I am desperately trying to get some form of Dutch model where we have dementia friendly villages."

He added: "I do not know why it can’t happen, when it happens elsewhere."

No final opening date has been publicly revealed for Dover's Harmonia village.