PLANS to demolish a Trowbridge care facility to build a new 55-bed care home faces tough opposition from neighbours.

Diane Finn, who lives next door to Staverton House which is pegged for demolition, and bought her home to retire in, said the development would tower over the surroundings – being out of scale and character to the area.

“We are concerned that we will have a significant loss of privacy and loss of light because our garden faces south and this large, three-storey building will completely block the light from mid-afternoon onwards,” she told the LDRS.

“It’s going to massively impact our quality of life.”

Mrs Finn the new development is set further back and will be “far more intrusive” than the current Staverton House and does not understand why it cannot be redeveloped.

READ MORE: Town agrees to extend traffic survey

“There is a row of old, sympathetic properties, so why knock this down and build a Premier Inn?” she asked.

Joseph Paul Scarisbrick, who also lives next door to the proposed development, said he would face a loss of privacy and light, as well as facing pollution from “months of diesel fumes and construction dust” which would impact his family.

Indeed these reasons are given by a number of residents voicing their objection to care home plans.

Staverton Parish Council too are against the plans, labelling the bid as over development which will lead to increased noise and traffic.

Stephanie Carter, who claimed to work in the Old Vicarage care home said: “The current building of The Old Vicarage was not an appropriate setting to meet the needs of the residents with the complex needs we are seeing in care sectors now.

READ MORE: Cabinet will decide on spending millions on Melksham House redevelopment next week

“The nature of care in recent years has changed due to the elderly staying at home longer, this has resulted in residents coming into care with more complex needs on admission, the proposed building would be purpose built to meet the needs of the ever evolving care sector.”

Another carer at Staverton House, Shannon Weissenbruch agreed that the current home is not “fit for purpose” and is too small for its residents.

A spokesman for Fidelia Care, which owns the site, said: “It was with great sadness that The Old Vicarage had to shut, it was just no longer safe to care for elderly residents there.

“We are proposing to extend Staverton House (behind The Old Vicarage) with something less imposing from the road.

“We’ve listened to neighbours, engaged with the council and submitted plans for something that helps meet the critical demand for Dementia care in the area.

READ MORE: Council to amend pamphlet said to be ‘misleading’

“Staverton House has a wonderful reputation and it makes sense to build on that with a modern care environment.

“For too long the country has neglected to meet the needs of our elderly in the right environment and we desperately need more beds.

“We’ve tried to minimise any impact with our neighbours and will continue to discuss the proposals with them.”