The people of Sandwich have shown strong opposition against any plans to privatise and sell-off Wayfarers care home.

At a public meeting at the Guildhall on Tuesday, residents and councillors objected to plans to sell Wayfarers as a going concern and instead felt it should be left as it is.

Kent County Council’s head of strategic commissioning Christy Holden and director of older people and physical disability, Anne Tidmarsh, spoke at the meeting - but many felt it should have been elected representatives instead.

Dick Perry, chairman of Friends of Wayfarers, said: “What we have got here in Sandwich is a caring home that’s very useful for people and at the moment we’re not even letting people in. It’s very competent, it doesn’t need development.

“What we need as a society is knowing that when we can’t actually run our own homes someone will run a home for us.”

Wayfarers was described as a “community gem”. It has seven permanent residents, five in respite care, nine people waiting further assessment and 12 vacancies.

Rev Howard Pashley, vicar at St Clement’s in Sandwich, said he felt the high number of vacancies was a “strategic reduction”.

Ms Tidmarsh for KCC said it wouldn’t be fair to accept residents on a permanent basis when the council is consulting on the centre’s future.

It was pointed out that if it is sold as a going concern, with staff and service users retained, then permanent residents should be allowed in as usual.

KCC said it can not afford to modernise Wayfarers which it states is “not fit for purpose” and hopes a private company could do this.

However, residents claim it does not need modernising and every room does not need an en-suite bathroom.

“If you carry on and keep Wayfarers as it is then it won’t be somewhere that people choose to live in.” Ms Holden, KCC.

Rev Pashley added: “My mother-in-law was there and very happy to use a commode, had she had an en-suite facility she would have probably broken her hip.”

Eric Segal, secretary for South East Kent Trade Union Council, made the proposition that Wayfarers should remain as it is, despite the council saying this was not an option.

He said: “It seems more like a rubber stamp of a decision rather than a consultation. It’s awful, I think myself and my members feel this has got to be something that should be strenuously opposed.”

Sandwich and district councillors Paul Carter and MJ Holloway both called for elected representatives Leyland Ridings and Graham Gibbens to speak to residents.

Residents also agreed that Sandwich Town Council would speak on behalf of them in opposing the plans.

At the meeting, many showed concerns that selling to a private company could put the care home at risk of closure.

It was suggested that KCC would draw up an agreement of sale that it must continue as a care home facility and will consider placing a covenant on the land.

There were also concerns that there might not be the same quality of care and the expense for residents could rise.

Ms Holden said KCC assures there would be “no detriment” to residents as the council would underwrite any extra costs charged from a private company - for current residents only.

The care at Wayfarers is focused on general frailty rather than specialist care and KCC suggests more people with general needs want to stay in their own home, meaning that more care homes need to provide specialist care, i.e for people with dementia.

Ms Holden for KCC said: “If you carry on and keep Wayfarers as it is then it won’t be somewhere that people choose to live in.”