Plans to turn a nursing home into a house for homeless families have been submitted to Bromley Council.

Planning experts are considering the application which would have Ashcroft in London Lane redeveloped into a 16-unit house.

The care home is currently too small to continue as it is, following a refused application to increase the number of rooms in 2015.

According to planning documents, submitted by Ashcroft Nursing Home, the accommodation would be leased to the council.

The report explains: “Being one of the smallest homes, its long-term viability has always been in doubt and it has been recognised that if it is to survive, then it would need to achieve a capacity of at least 40 beds, based on current

standards.

“Attempts to increase its capacity have been made and the most recent planning application in 2015 was turned down for a number of reasons, not least of which was local opposition to the proposal.

“Negotiations with Bromley Council housing department followed and it was clear that similar transformations had been successfully implemented and that Ashcroft, given its size and location, could provide a valuable resource that would address the significant demand for accommodation for homeless families within the Borough.

“It is for housing homeless people as they make their way through the process of securing permanent housing. It is significant that the proposals provide for a range of housing forms, suitable for single households and for families.”

The developers have proposed a three year limit on the development.

All current care home residents would be relocated to other care homes.

The developers said: “A great deal of care has been given to ensuring that the resultant facility exceeds current standards of accommodation for homeless families, that the fire precautions standards are paramount, post Grenfell, and

that the impact locally is minimised as far as possible whilst meeting the standards that Bromley would expect to achieve.”

Acceptances into temporary accommodation in Bromley have risen 135 per cent since 2012, with 1,439 households now placed in it.

One neighbour has objected to the proposals, saying that it would create too much noise , worsen parking problems and it would overlook nearby properties.