An alternative use for a former NHS care centre has been put forward to rival a housing scheme.

The Fynvola Foundation wants to use the buildings at Southlands Assessment Unit to create a second home for nursing and palliative end of life care for adults with learning disabilities.

It presently has a facility in Love Lane, Faversham.

But an application for outline planning permission has already been submitted to Swale council to demolish the premises in Rook Lane, Bobbing, to make way for 12 detached houses with garages.

The charity’s finances have already been allocated to the project but its offers and negotiations with the vendor have stalled pending the housing application, yet to be determined.

Fynvola says it has been told its offer would be seriously considered should the scheme fail to be approved.

It has written to the local authority asking for the proposal to be included in the report for committee members.

It is hoped it will gather support as the plan would not cause disruptive building work.

Jenny Gurney, chair of trustees, said: “Our scheme is a credible and far more acceptable alternative for Southlands.

“Traffic patterns would be considerably less as Fynvola only has two vehicles, residents have few visitors and staff work in shifts.

“The Southlands site is officially listed as a community asset; therefore a scheme that would retain it as such has to be more beneficial.

“It would also offer synergy with neighbouring Demelza House, which provides care for children.”

Owners Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust opened the site in 1990 to provide residential care for dementia sufferers.

When the beds closed about eight years ago it was used as an assessment centre serving sufferers and their carers in the Sittingbourne area.

The main purpose was to assess a need for home support services.

But it closed 17 months ago and was deemed no longer fit for purpose after a reorganisation of service provision.

Some staff were relocated to the town’s St Michael’s House and the older people’s service to the Memorial Hospital in Bell Road.

The sale will generate funds to support these services.