An urgent public meeting has been called as the first step in a campaign to save Wayfarers care home in Sandwich.

KCC announced plans to sell the centre in St Bart’s Road as a going concern earlier this month.

This comes after the authority claimed the building was “not fit for purpose” and does not have the funds to refurbish it.

Sandwich Town Council has written an urgent letter to KCC after its meeting on Monday to insist current residents can stay there during and after the sale. It also says a condition of sale must be to ensure the site remains as a care home with good quality care.

The letter has called on Graham Gibbens, KCC cabinet member for adult social care and public health, and Andrew Ireland, corporate director of social care, health and wellbeing, to host a public meeting for residents in Sandwich.

Former mayor of Sandwich Brian Scott, chairman of trustees at Age Concern, said: “I would support a meeting between KCC and Sandwich. We have got to to talk about it.

“If we lose Wayfarers, we have got nothing. There’s nowhere in Sandwich that can take elderly people. If it closed, it would be a very sad day.”

He said clients at Age Concern felt this would be a “big blow” to the elderly people of Sandwich.

Mr Scott added: “We would support any way of trying to keep it open.”

Speaking at the meeting, councillors expressed fears that a buyer may not be found, which is what happened when this was suggested five years ago.

“If we lose Wayfarers, we have got nothing. There’s nowhere in Sandwich that can take elderly people. If it closed, it would be a very sad day.” - Mr Scott

Cllr John Bragg said: “It’s too small. The facilities are poor by current standards. There are no en-suite bathrooms at all.

“KCC can’t even recover their costs in the place. Why anyone else would be able to do that, I don’t know.

“They won’t be able to find anyone and then it will be shut down anyway.

“I’m afraid the whole thing is going to go down the drain and I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it.

“I don’t believe anybody could make money out of that place without changing it radically and Sandwich wants it to remain as it is.”

There are seven permanent residents at Wayfarers and KCC said they will remain there, along with 42 employees.

There are 32 rooms and the majority are used for respite care for elderly people.

The proposal to sell the care home is currently under consultation and needs views from the public as well as the council.

To make your views known, go to consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/carehomes.