An elderly couple from Sandwich are worried plans for an extension to Market Place Surgery will leave them trapped in their homes.

The extension would bring the surgery much closer to Monty and Roy Chisholm’s home in Moat Sole and would mean creating an L-shaped alley from their garden to the car park.

Mr Chisholm, 88, who has a disabled parking space in the car park, has direct access from his garden but this could change.

Mrs Chisholm, 85, said: “If you can’t see round a corner anybody could be lurking there.

“Rough sleepers and a drunken man sit in the back entrance at the surgery because it is out of sight and if they kept the L-shape we would be out of sight too.

“Roy might need a mobility scooter or at least a wheelchair and manoeuvring along a corner would be difficult or impossible.

“I’m concerned we could end up trapped in our own home.

“The community needs the medical centre but we’re going to be badly affected by it.

“We bought this house particularly to have access to the car park as we’re both so elderly.”

This is not the only objection to the extension which will be built where seven car parking spaces and two trees are now.

Mrs Chisholm said the roof of the extension will have straight sides. The surgery has a sloping roof. She said the new roof would not be in keeping with the rest of the buildings.

“The community needs the medical centre but we’re going to be badly affected by it."- Monty Chisholm.

Sandwich Town Council discussed this at the last meeting and agreed with Mr and Mrs Chisholm. The council voted to put these comments to the district council.

A statement issued by the partners of Market Place Surgery stated: “We believe the location of the Market Place Surgery offers a larger proportion of patients a central and convenient access point.

“While the reasons to extend are broad, the common theme would be to better meet the health needs of our population demographic. We are committed to our Sandwich and Eastry surgeries and believe the location of the Market Place Surgery offers a larger proportion of patients a central and convenient access point. We hope that we can work with, and be guided by the council, to improve the site in manner that would complement Sandwich.”

Mrs Chisholm explained that she was told even with the extension, the surgery will still be unable to meet the needs of the growing community. The surgery has also suggested placing a locked gate at the end of the alleyway so that others can not enter but this would also be difficult for a wheelchair user and would mean giving keys or a code to all of Mr and Mrs Chisholm’s friends and family who would like to visit.

Cllr Pip Russell has also objected to the plans and asked if the extension can instead be built on the western side of the surgery so it would not impact on residents.