RESIDENTS are objecting against a last-ditch bid by the owners of a £10 million dementia care home to remove a condition that windows overlooking their homes must have obscured glass.

People living near the development, on the site of the former Bingley hospital in Fernbank Drive, fear they will live in a “goldfish bowl” and be further overlooked if the application is approved by Bradford Council.

The home, run by charitable organisation The Abbeyfield Society, is due to open next month.

One of the protesters, Linda Khoury, 65, of Fernbank Avenue, said: “I strongly object to this application, particularly regarding the oriel (bay)-type windows that overlook our gardens and dwellings on the back of Fernbank Avenue.

“If they are now allowed to return to clear glass it will be like living in a gold fish bowl.

“With clear glazing they are a blatant invasion of privacy.”

Another, Julie Ramsden, of Fernbank Drive, Bingley, wrote: “I object to granting the variation to planning condition 12.

“The Abbeyfield care home is far larger than l had originally anticipated from the initial 2013 plans, consequently the windows in question overlook my back garden rather more than l had thought they would.

“In my long experience of dementia care homes, dementia residents will often walk around partially dressed or naked.

“From the point of view of protecting the decency and privacy of Abbeyfield residents and safeguarding my children that play in my garden l would like to keep the glass in all the windows - most particularly the full length windows - obscured.”

An Abbeyfield spokesman insisted that the windows were angled to prevent direct overlooking.

“Every feature chosen was selected with our future residents in mind and how these elements can enhance their quality of life as they live with dementia or other health-related conditions,” said the spokesman.

“We have asked Bradford Council to grant us permission to remove obscuring film on some of the windows and certain glazed external doors to communal spaces within the dementia wing of the development.

“We understand that some living close to the development may feel their amenities are compromised by this, or that they may be overlooked.

“However, the windows in question are angled so as to prevent direct overlooking and the doors offer a view on to a terrace which is itself screened by an obscured glazed balcony.

“In the case of the latter we didn’t want our residents restricted by two barriers to the outside world.”

The 84,000 sq ft development covers seven floors and features communal facilities for residents including a hair and beauty salon, laundry and restaurant.

The unit will provide 49 one or two bedroom extra care apartments, a 30 bed specialist dementia centre and a day care centre.

The home is expected to create about 60 jobs.

Planning permission was approved by Bradford Council in 2013. Work started the following year and was originally due to be completed in June 2016.