Ledbury Mayor and Town Council Chairman, Councillor Keith Francis, is to seek urgent talks with the local Elgar Housing Association after a shock announcement that a town sheltered housing scheme is to close.
Elgar said last week it was “working towards the closure” of Turner Court, a complex in The Homend that provides elderly people with accommodation in 13 one-bed flats and six flatlets.
Options for the building would be reviewed during the next one to two years, the owners say, adding that decisions will be made in due course.
The Mayor said: “We need to talk to the Elgar Housing Association on behalf of the elderly residents who are happy there, and some of whom have been there for years.
“Older people do not want this uncertainty.
“The association says alternative accommodation will be offered, but there are not many suitable places in Ledbury.
“The housing association does not believe that Turner Court provides the type of accommodation and facilities that older people are looking for in 2008 and future years.
“A meeting has already been held with residents to discuss the situation and explain what happens next”, said a statement.
Older people now had different “aspirations and expectations”, wanting to see larger kitchens, room for modern appliances and more living and car-parking space, none of which could be offered at Turner Court.
“We will be working hard to ensure that all residents will be individually supported in planning, choosing and moving to alternative accommodation”, said Elgar’s Clare Huyton, with Turner Court residents given priority for other Association properties in Ledbury as they became available.
Difficult
Small bedsit flats, of which Turner Court had a high proportion, would become more difficult to let as the expectations of older people increased.
The Association knew that “this will be an anxious time for residents, but believes that future housing for older people will need to be of a higher standard than the small bedsit accommodation currently provided at Turner Court”, she said.
The Association’s Cathy Spence said that an example of the demand for “independent living” was at Hereford’s Rose Garden development, where there was a waiting list of 1,500 people who were not interested in either care homes or bedsits.
