A milestone has been reached in the construction of a new “exceptional” care home set to open next year on a former factory site.

The topping-out ceremony, which marked the completion of the building’s roof, took place at Martello Manor, currently being built off Fort Road in Hythe.

The new 66-bedroom care home is part of the wider transformation of the former Smiths Medical site, which also includes 86 homes.

Cllr Stephen Bailey (Ind), Mayor of Hythe, was among the guests who attended the event, helping to lay three ceremonial tiles to celebrate the project’s progress.

He was joined by Dudley Shipton, chairman emeritus of the Hythe Dementia Forum, and Tracy West, the forum’s current chair.

The home, developed by Boutique Care Homes, is expected to welcome its first residents in June 2026.

It will provide residential, dementia and short-stay care, with facilities including a bistro and a beauty salon also expected on site.

Ms West said she was “very impressed” with the construction’s progress.

“What struck me was that everyone involved has a personal interest in ensuring that Martello Manor is more than just another residential care home,” she explained.

Boutique Care Homes, which operates a number of similar homes across the county, says the new development will bring “exceptional care in a beautifully designed home”.

Plans for the care home were approved by Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) in May last year, alongside 86 houses set to occupy the remainder of the former factory site between Boundary Road and Fort Road.

The Smiths Medical complex, once home to a factory which made medical equipment and more than 500 employees, closed in 2017 and was demolished two years later after becoming an “eyesore” and target for anti-social behaviour.

Led by New Roddy Homes, the wider development will feature green spaces, a new pedestrian route linking to Hythe Green, and 30% affordable housing.

Work at Martello Manor will continue over the winter months before the building opens its doors next summer.