A new 70-bed care home will create 100 jobs, it is claimed.

Avante Care and Support have been announced as the operators of the complex, at Lucks Hill in West Malling.

Plans were submitted by Perseus Land and Developments in March 2021 but rejected by Tonbridge and Malling council due to its effect on the character and appearance of the area, including St Mary’s Abbey and the West Malling Conservation Area.

However, it was permitted on appeal in 2022.

The home, expected to open in the second half of 2026, will be the second by Avante within a year following the planned completion of another 70-bedroom care home in Westgate-On-Sea near Margate by the end of 2025.

As well as helping to meet the need for care home places, the West Malling complex will include a cafe that will be open to the community.

Avante said it would create nearly 100 jobs and be built to high energy efficiency standards incorporating solar panels and air source heat pumps.

The firm’s managing director, Stuart Cross, said: “Our vision for all our homes is to provide communities where everyone has a vibrant and fulfilling life.”

Barcroft Estates will build the care home, which will offer dementia-specific care, palliative care, and respite care.

Avante Care and Support is a registered charity, established in 1990.