A HEALTHCARE company has lost its battle to build a multi-million-pound nursing home that would have created 70 jobs.

St Cloud Care appealed after civic chiefs refused planning permission for a four-storey complex on a hill overlooking homes in Hythe.

But Government-appointed planning inspector Ian Radcliffe has rejected the scheme, which had been branded a “monstrosity” by people living near the site.

Mr Radcliffe said the “monotonous and dominant” roof would result in a “predominantly plain” building with an unduly horizontal emphasis.

He added: “Whilst such a building would not look out of place within a business park it would fail to respond to its hill edge position.

“During the warmer months of the year the western elevation would be partly screened by trees in leaf and the apparent unrelieved mass of the building would not be unduly visible.

“However, during the colder months its shortcomings would be far more readily apparent.

“The proposed development is a poor design that would fail to take advantage of the opportunities for improving the character and quality of the locality.”

The £3m nursing home off Southampton Road, Hythe, would have included treatment rooms and a hydrotherapy pool.

But the district council rejected the scheme last year after receiving 35 letters of objection from locals angry at the size of the complex.

The council said the building would dominate neighbouring houses and also claimed its poor design would give it an “austere, institutional appearance”.

But St Cloud defended the scheme in appeal documents, claiming the site was isolated from its immediate surroundings, creating an opportunity for a “stand alone” development that would "enhance the landscape character of the area”.

“The property will provide a high quality environment for future occupiers of the building with a range of communal facilities and a carefully laid out amenity space.”

Now people living in Kelvin Close and other streets near the site are waiting to learn if St Cloud will submit a revised scheme. No one from the firm was available for comment.