From damning inspections to an attempted murder case before its sudden closure, this controversial care home has never been far from the public eye.

But after sitting empty for five years – an eyesore looming large in the middle of Faversham – ongoing legal disputes over bringing it back into use show no sign of being resolved, as Max Chesson reports...

On a warm summer’s day in the market town of Faversham, the air is filled with the gentle sound of children’s laughter from a playground.

This joyful scene towards the edge of the Edward Vinson estate is in stark contrast to the abandoned building nearby.

The former Kingsfield Care Centre looms large in the middle of town, gradually wasting away since its sudden closure in 2018.

Windows have been smashed, pigeons have activated their squatters’ rights, and security barriers block entrances.

Regular reports of teens breaking into Kingsfield add to the frustrations of those living nearby.

Boasting room for up to 90 guests and specialist dementia facilities, when it opened in 2009 the home provided a much-needed boost for the town’s care sector.

But nine years later, 51 residents’ lives were thrown into turmoil when they were given just weeks to find somewhere else to live.

So how does a care home worth more than £8 million sit empty in the heart of a town with an ageing population for more than five years?

Care UK says “significant structural issues” with the timber that lined the building meant it was branded unsafe for occupation.

On the day of its closure in January 2018, residents at the Jubilee Way home told KentOnline of their huge shock after effectively being made homeless.

Some who lived there remained hopeful the site would soon be brought back into use following an extensive reconstruction programme – but that day never came.

Those living nearby are fed up with the eyesore on their doorstep.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I don’t think it’ll ever reopen, but that’s just me. It’s such a waste of money for the care company but if not now then when? There's nothing they couldn't fix if they didn't really want to.”

While another neighbour said: “I’ve heard it’ll reopen soon. There’s been rumours for a while that they can operate without fixing the problems so if that’s true I don’t see why they wouldn’t – I bet they’re missing the money.”

Last week a Care UK spokesman told KentOnline the company remains committed to Kingsfield, pledging as it has done for the past five years to get the home back open again.

“We are dedicated to providing more care home capacity in the UK, and are as frustrated as the local community that we have not been able to reach an agreement on how to proceed,” they said.

“Our plan is to reopen Kingsfield as soon as we are able to do so safely.

“We would like to thank local residents for their continued patience whilst we work as quickly as we can to resolve this issue.”

But KentOnline understands that an ongoing legal dispute – understood to relate to who will pay for the work to get the building into a fit state to reopen – has not been resolved.

Meanwhile, the construction company which built the care centre has now gone into administration.

It raises the prospect that the former home could be demolished.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately yesterday told KentOnline: “Kingsfield Care Home has been closed for far too long.

“Clearly it needs to be safe, but having it standing around empty is no use to anyone either.

“If they can’t solve the legal dispute I want assurances from Care UK on the future of the building.”

Demand for more care facilities in Faversham is increasing, with former homes Kiln Court and Oast View set to be turned into housing.

Conservative Mrs Whately added: “I’m also writing to Kent County Council about their plans to make sure there’s enough residential care in the town.

“People shouldn’t have to move away from friends and family when they need more care.”

Kingsfield had a turbulent history before its closure in 2018 – including a well-documented criminal case.

In late December 2016, Dennis Latter, then 78, attacked 89-year-old Betty Wood with a blunt kitchen knife. His battle with vascular dementia had led him to believe his possessions were being stolen.

He inflicted 49 wounds on Mrs Wood as she lay in bed in the morning.

Following his arrest, the pensioner was charged with attempted murder but was deemed unfit to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court later the same year.

The victim died before the court's decision – though not of injuries sustained in the attack – and Latter was sectioned as a result of the incident.

But even before then, the home had received a significant amount of negative publicity.

A succession of Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections in 2015, 2016 and 2017 rated Kingsfield as ‘Requires improvement’.

In its last inspection before the closure, there was not even a registered manager in charge.

Officials flagged concerns over breaches of legal requirements – such as staffing levels being too low – alongside leadership instability. The CQC stressed more needed to be done to improve outcomes for residents.

It was not all bad press though. The home made the news in 2015 when its latest member of staff, five-year-old miniature schnauzer Morse, became a hit with locals.

Nonetheless, it is a tale of a care home with more than its fair share of twists – but is it destined to decay at the mercy of vandals?

The Kingsfield building's history is complex.

The land was previously used by Hunter Saphir, which dealt with the storage and packing of fruit, but it departed in 2000 – leaving a large gap developers wanted to fill.

Plans for the home – and the whole Edward Vinson estate – were first submitted to the council in 2005, taking over what was the Eurocentre site in Whitstable Road.

Swale Borough Council rubber-stamped proposals in February 2007 to transform the space into a doctors surgery and functional care home.

Newcastle-based Metnor Construction completed the Kingsfield build in 2009, ready for care provider Southern Cross as part of a wider development.

Southern Cross signed a 30-year lease with the original owners of the property.

But within a year, uncertainty began to creep in when, still under the tenure of Southern Cross, the building was bought by Rflipf Faversham Real Estate – now known as TSRF Faversham Real Estate – for almost £8.3 million in April 2010.

A year later, Southern Cross became insolvent and Care UK stepped in.

Meanwhile, having entered administration earlier this year, it was reported Metnor was being forced to lay off 80 staff with debts reaching the eight-figure mark.

Care UK says negotiations with TSRF have been ongoing ever since the home closed.

When asked for comment by KentOnline, Mark Chasey, one of TSRF’s directors, echoed hopes of getting the facility back into use and stated his belief it would be a matter of time before things got underway. He declined to comment further.