The "massive scale" of a proposed new care home will benefit only the companies behind it - while neighbours will suffer noise pollution and loss of light and privacy.

These are the fears of Dartmouth Park residents over developer Harrison Varma's plans for a five-storey, 78 bedroom home at the former Mansfield Bowling Club site.

Mandy Rose lives at Regency Lawn, townhouses set back from Croftdown Road, at the entrance of the site.

Through planning consultants Howard Cole Town and Country Planning, Mandy and neighbours have submitted 12 objections to Camden Council including concerns over the U-shaped building's size and the traffic pollution it will generate.

Neighbours fear vehicles entering the site will reverse into the back fences of two of the homes in order to leave the site in forward gear.   

The plans state that 12 vehicles a day will visit the service area between 7am and 7pm, plus further refuse and clinical waste removal throughout the week. The consultants said this is an "underestimate". 

"We will lose the right to quiet enjoyment of our gardens and living areas, " said Mandy.  

"Noise pollution is a real concern as every reverse movement of commercial vehicles is preceded by a continuous siren like warning beep and a loud message ‘vehicle reversing’."

She said: "We would be more than happy for a member of Camden planning department to visit our house and so appreciate our location and the impact of the potential build on our and our neighbours’ quiet enjoyment with regard to privacy, visual impact, lighting, loss of sunlight, overlooking and noise nuisance emanating from the proposed overbearing build."

Croftdown Road Residents Association is among groups who have objected to the planning application.

Its chairman Hilary Reicher said: "Our main worries are the same as the whole of the Dartmouth Park area - though Croftdown Road will be one of the roads taking the biggest hit from the effects of increased construction, delivery, commercial and visitor vehicles.

"We have four schools and a Saturday music school in the immediate area and thousands of vulnerable pedestrians use the road regularly. 

"They will all be exposed to the effects and risks of higher numbers of road users."

She said residents accepted the site should be redeveloped and while a care home was reasonable, the size and character "should not be on a massive scale for the benefit only of the developer and operator".

She added: "Our understanding is that the private developer previously worked with the immediately surrounding houses on a scheme everyone could live with. 

"This was approved. Now they have come back for an amended, much bigger development. 

"The residents association very much hopes that Camden can use the planning process to influence and lessen the impacts of this latest planning application. 

"It will be a sad day for everyone, except the property developers, if it does not."

Harrison Varma has been contacted.