Plans for a care home and family houses on the edge of a national park have been turned down.

Thornton Properties wanted to demolish Court Farm House in Devil’s Dyke Road, Hove, and replace it with a 58-bedroom care home and five detached properties.

It claimed it would create dozens of jobs.

But Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee threw out the plans on Thursday, March 14 adding it did not match with its long-term vision for the site.

The land, which is near the junction of the A27 and the South Downs National Park, is part of the Toad’s Hole Valley site.

This has been earmarked for a carbon-neutral development including 700 homes, a secondary school and business units in the City Plan, which will guide development until 2030.

Eight councillors – all Green and Labour councillors – voted to turn down the plans.

Three backed it and one abstained – all Conservative.

Labour councillor Les Hamilton said: “I can see some merit in this but feel it’s a premature application.”

He added he was worried about the lack of shops and buses, adding he felt this would be delivered if the site was developed as a whole.

Green councillor Ian Davey said: “It is a strategic site which needs to be looked at strategically.”

But Conservative councillor Denise Cobb said: “I don’t know how it can be refused when we badly need care homes in the city.”

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