Planso demolish and rebuild a rest home have been tabled by a charity.

Guild Care, which has been upgrading a number of its homes in Worthing, is turning its attention to Frazer Lodge at 18-22 Wykeham Road.

The charity plans to bulldoze two buildings on the site and replace them with a 54-bedroom rest home with 13 off-road parking spaces.

The Worthing Society conservation group seems unlikely to object, although it believes one of the buildings, dating back to the 19th Century, could be converted.

Chairman Robert Elleray said: "The problem is the size of the development and also its style but I don't think we shall object very strongly."

However planners, who have been stung by recent criticism of the gradual destruction of Worthing's architectural heritage, must take into account the fact Frazer Lodge is in a conservation area.

Guild Care spokeswoman Vanessa Mills said: "All we want to do is make sure we can continue to provide care for Worthing residents."

She said in the past two years more than 250 care beds had been lost in the town as homes closed.

She said the buildings, known as the Richmond and Gordon wings, had not been used to house elderly people for at least eight years. Administration staff were using the complex while their headquarters, Methold House in North Street, was being rebuilt and refurbished.

She said it wasn't practical to convert any of the buildings because their layout meant it would be very difficult to achieve standards set by the Government.

l Guild Care is hosting an auction on Saturday to raise funds for its work with pensioners.

Famous-name items have no reserve price so the event is a great opportunity to snap up a collectable or a unique piece of furniture.

The auction is being held at Guild Care's shop in The Strand, Durrington, from 2pm. Viewing is from 9.30am.

The auctioneer for the afternoon will be Splash FM breakfast show presenter Simon Osborne.