A residential care home is set for expansion after council officials gave the scheme the go-ahead.

Under the proposals, a single storey extension will be added to Carlton Hall Residential Home and Village on Chapel Road in Carlton Colville, Lowestoft with four new bedrooms.

Described as "a large residential care home", the site currently has 31 bedrooms and 33 bungalows in the form of very sheltered housing as it employs 49 members of staff.

Plans centring around a "proposed single storey extension to provide four additional bedrooms, and an en suite facility for an additional bedroom within the existing north west wing" at Carlton Hall Residential Home were given the green light.

Proposals lodged with East Suffolk Council in June by agents Middleton & George Ltd on behalf of the applicant Carlton Hall Gardens Ltd were "permitted" under delegated powers.

The applicants said the extension could see one new employee recruited, with the proposed scheme addressing "a specific need for those requiring residential care".

It said: "It is the applicants' firm view that the scheme has considerable merit, whilst fulfilling a community need for which there is a considerable demand."

A delegated report from the council's case officer said: "This application proposes to extend the existing modern care home buildings, which are attached to Carlton Hall, with a new single-storey extension on the north-west side.

"The existing operation is stated as operating at maximum capacity; hence this application would meet an unmet need in the wider community for this form of residential care home accommodation.

"One FTE staff member would be employed as a result of this development.

"The proposal would therefore meet a wider community need at an established care home facility, that is of a proportionate scale to the main care home facilities, being a relatively small scale addition to cater for an additional four bedrooms, plus en-suite bathroom."

With Carlton Colville Town Council supporting the application "as with ageing population, this type of facility is needed," the scheme was recommended for approval subject to conditions.