It’s time to make a stand and save Wayfarers care home in Sandwich.

That is the message from Sandwich town councillors who decided not to accept Kent County Council’s plans to sell the care home as a going concern.

Speaking at the town council meeting on Monday, Cllr Paul Carter said KCC’s claims that the centre is “not fit for purpose” is “rubbish”.

He said: “The place is state of the art and I couldn’t see anything wrong with it. It’s a wonderful place.

“This issue of en suite bathrooms is not a regulation, all the rooms have got commode chairs and that’s what they actually prefer.”

At a public meeting last Tuesday, representatives from KCC said each room needed en suite facilities and should focus on specialist care, such as dementia.

“We are not prepared to accept the sell-off of the home and KCC should stand by their commitment and continue with this home.”- Cllr Carter

Cllr John Bragg said: “The whole thing is too small, the only way it could succeed is if they make it a much bigger place and start all over again but nobody is prepared to do that.

“I’m dead against it going but I recognise that it’s doomed. It’s a problem that we can’t solve, KCC can’t solve and I don’t think the Friends of Wayfarers can solve.”

Cllr Lynne O’Donoghue asked whether Wayfarers could be classed as a community asset or whether new budgets for social care would mean KCC could afford to run the home.

A public meeting with Cllr Graham Gibbens, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, will be held at the Guildhall on December 15. However this would not give them enough time to discuss the meeting before the end of the consultation period.

Cllr Carter said this was “disgusting” and claims Cllr Gibbens should have been at the public meeting last week.

He said: “KCC needs to make savings of £92 million, selling that off is going to be peanuts in the scale of the whole thing but it matters so much to our elderly.

“We are not prepared to accept the sell-off of the home and KCC should stand by their commitment and continue with this home.”

Sandwich Town Council will now write to Kent County Council to pledge its opposition.