Neighbours claim plans for a “hideously tall” care home will invade their privacy and make parking a headache - but council officers say they should be approved.

The three-storey building at Beech Court, Deal, would accommodate up to 83 residents on the site of a former convent.

Boutique Care Homes, which would operate the Rectory Road site, says the facility is much-needed and that its design has been carefully considered.

However scores of residents disagree and have objected to the scale of the structure and how it might affect nearby roads in 70 letters to Dover District Council (DDC).

In one such complaint, neighbour Susan Garner says: “The building will be hideously tall and imposing, totally out of character for this area.”

While Lisa Donnelly adds: “It is huge in comparison to anything around here and will greatly affect the privacy of residents in every direction.”

The 3.8-acre site currently contains The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions convent, vacated in 2023, with an associated building to the north and a two-storey property to the southeast.

The proposals are to bulldoze the existing structures to erect the care home and seven detached bungalows for over 55’s accommodation.

Recommending the project for approval, council officers argue the advantages of the new facility outweighs the harm of flattening the old one.

They state: “While it is unfortunate that the proposal would result in the loss of all buildings on the site, the heritage team recognises that the principle of the development, that being the provision of a care home particularly for dementia sufferers, is a very significant public benefit.”

Plans for the site also include a hair salon, a bistro and a 29-car parking area, plus additional spaces for each bungalow, but residents worry the provided parking will be insufficient.

“Based on how many residents, staff, visitors and deliveries the proposed care home will have, how on earth will the number of parking spaces be enough?” continues Mrs Donnelly.

“Parking is already at a massive premium in the surrounding area and Rectory Road can't cope with additional vehicles.”

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But in a report prepared ahead of the council’s planning meeting tomorrow (Thursday), in which the project’s fate will be decided, officers seek to allay such concerns.

They say: “Based on the number of staff and visitors expected at any one time, it is envisaged that sufficient parking would be accommodated within the site, such that the development would not generate any overspill demand for parking onto the adjoining residential streets.”