Opponents say they have not had a chance to object to the scheme to convert the White House in Steeple Morden.

Frances Griffiths, of the Stop White House Committee, said the village is worried about patients with a history of violence.

Dr Mohsin Abdullah, director of the facility, said the patients will pose no threat.

But campaigners against the home, now undergoing £2m in renovations, said the village is not the best place for it.

"This community is not suitable for the patients", said opposition committee member Keith Rowland.

The National Care Standards Commission will decide whether the hospital can open.