Plans to demolish homes to make way for a new care home for the elderly in Bexleyheath have prompted nearby residents to voice their concerns.

Carebase Ltd lodged the application for 2-8 Danson Road, which would see four homes knocked down to build the new care home, earlier this year.

While the 70-bedroom house would provide advanced care for conditions such as dementia, neighbours are concerned about what the development could mean for the area.

Danson Road resident Raman Dale said those living near the proposed site fear it could “change the character of the road completely”.

Issues voiced by residents included the potential increase in traffic on the “premier road”, as well as neighbours of the proposed development being overshadowed by the building.

“Over seventy residents and staff will have unbridled views into our homes.  We, and the other residents value our privacy and this proposed developments seeks to irrevocably sever this,” she said.

Ms Dale, who has lived on the road for seven years, said Danson Road’s junction with the A2 and A207 was “already hazardous” and feared what increased traffic would do to the road.

“Danson Road has been a premier, residential area since the days of the horse-drawncarriage.” she said.

“Why does our council wish to discard hundreds of years of heritage and urbanise a solid owner-occupier family-friendly suburban area into a dangerous and characterless thoroughfare for buy-to-let landlords, which is, of course, what will happen as a result of the noise and disturbance caused by building works, ambulances, care home residents and visitors.”

She added there were concerns that one developer coming in “could open the floodgates” for more.

“If they do need more care homes within the borough, there are lots of other sites they could have chose,” Ms Dale added.

“Some have said if it is allowed, they’ll be leaving the area.”

The development, which would see the homes from 2-8 Danson Road demolished, would consist of accommodation across three floors, with the ground floor providing general nursing care and the two upper floors providing dementia care accommodation.

In a planning statement, the firm behind the plans state the new home would address a forecast undersupply of specified accommodation and alleviate pressure that would otherwise be placed on the NHS.

“At present, there is an undersupply of specialist care accommodation in the Borough and with demand in Bexley forecast to rise, supply must increase by 40 per cent, compared to the national average of a 19 per cent,” the  statement says.

“Without this demand being met, vulnerable Borough residents in need of care have no option other than to remain living in their current properties, which are usually unsuitable and do not provide a safe residential environment. Such arrangements place further strain on District Nurses, GPs and local hospitals.”

The full details of the submission are available on Bexley Council’s planning portal under the reference code 19/03072/FULM.