A former NHS day care centre could be demolished to make way for housing.

Outline planning permission to build 12 detached houses with garages on the Southlands Assessment Unit site in Rook Lane, Bobbing, was approved by Swale council last week.

However, it is subject to ecological, arboricultural and ground water protection issues being resolved, Natural England’s comments being received and an appropriate legal agreement to secure developer contributions.

It means Fynvola Foundation’s hopes to create a second home for nursing and palliative end of life care for adults with learning disabilities have been dashed.

The charity, which has a facility in Faversham, had already allocated finances to the project but its offers and negotiations with the vendor stalled pending the housing application. However, it was told its offer would be seriously considered should the scheme fail to be approved.

Its proposal was included in the report for committee members to consider when making their decision.

The building, owned by the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, opened in 1990 to provide residential care for dementia sufferers who could no longer live at home but the beds were closed about eight years ago.

Since then it had been used as an assessment centre serving sufferers and their carers in the Sittingbourne area.

But it closed in October 2013 and was deemed no longer fit for purpose after a reorganisation of service provision in the Swale area. The sale will raise funds to support the investment already made for the services at these other centres.