Churchgoers campaigning against land owned by their diocese being turned into a care home have been told to get on board with the plan as they may benefit from it one day.

Many are up in arms about the plan to sell the land and build a 64-bedroom specialist care home in West Kirby, saying it will put children’s lives at risk.

The facility will be built on the site of the stables and horse field on Rectory Road, land owned by the Chester Diocese, which runs the nearby St Bridget’s Parish Church.

Jan Dacombe, who regularly attends the church, said: “I’m absolutely flabbergasted. My main concern is safety, more traffic would be dreadful.

“There’s a school nearby and more cars on this narrow road would be a problem. I’m a bereaved mother and I don’t want to see a child killed there.

“The community should have been offered the first chance to buy the land, but the diocese are arrogant and don’t listen to us.”

Ms Dacombe said 300 people met at St Bridget’s Parish Church recently to discuss the plans, which showed how concerned local people are.

She thinks the reason for the sale is money, rather than the interests of the community.

Ms Dacombe said: “It all comes back to money. I understand the need to care for the elderly, but there are more suitable places to build a care home.

“This is splitting the church and I feel that I need to stick up for the community. Even if the diocese aren’t going to change their mind, I want them to talk to me properly rather than giving me a standard letter.”

But the developer behind the plan disagrees.

Emyr Williams, development director of Liberty Properties, said: “There is an ageing population in Wirral and a lack of care provision, this home is needed.

“The people who are objecting to the plans may end up being the beneficiaries.”

The Chester-based developer was keen to play down traffic concerns, adding: “We are talking about a care home with 23 parking spaces, where residents will spend the last few years of their life and about 15 staff will be present.

“This will generate very little traffic.

“There will be a full traffic assessment and a full public consultation when we are ready to put a proposal forward. We haven’t had the time to engage yet, but there will be detailed consultation with locals and the council planning department.”

Mr Williams added that the building will complement the look of the local area.

The diocese also disputed Ms Dacombe’s account and believe this plan is the only viable option.

A spokesperson for Chester Diocese said: “The diocese has acted on the professional advice it received from a qualified chartered surveyor, including in respect of marketing and valuing the property.

“The proposed transaction is the best that can be reasonably obtained for the diocese as a whole.”

The diocese also said it has engaged with local people.

The spokesperson added: “Residents have not been ignored. We issued an open letter addressing residents and their concerns in August and have endeavoured to reply to all enquiries received since then.

“There will be opportunity for residents to voice objections as part of the local planning process, including a full public consultation facilitated by the developer. However, as the vendor, the diocese is not party to the ongoing discussions between the developer and the planners.”