ELDERLY residents are to be moved out of sheltered accommodation to make room for a housing development.

Residents of Mills House and Beech Court, in Bisterne Avenue, Walthamstow, have been told by their housing association that they will have to be re-located elsewhere, after a planning application for 21 affordable flats and houses was approved by the council’s planning committee last week.

The 33 homes are run by housing association Sanctuary Hereward, which said the current accommodation no longer meets the residents’ needs and is not suitable to be re-developed, therefore it will demolish the homes and help residents find alternative accommodation.

However, the son of an 85-year-old resident of Beech Court said his mother is upset at the disruption of having to move, and claims the housing association simply provided an “out-of-date” list of sheltered accommodation in the borough.

He is now worried about his mother becoming a council tenant in accommodation managed by Ascham Homes after it was revealed that elderly people in sheltered homes may be placed alongside people with mental health issues or drug problems.

The son, who was too worried about impacting on his mother’s future accommodation to be named, said: “The promises made last year about help with finding accommodation have come to nothing, so we have taken it upon ourselves to find alternative accommodation.

“Like everybody of her age she thought she would see her time out there. If we could find her something as good, all well and good, but some of the reasons for the development of this site don’t stack up.”

St Peter-in-the-Forest Church in Forest Rise sold a house within the site which has enabled Sanctuary to build over the entire site, creating eight houses, 13 flats and 12 parking spaces for key workers and families.

Of the elderly tenants and residents in the surrounding houses who were consulted, some of the concerns received by six households stated that it would be “a waste of energy and resources to demolish it”, that the new homes would create more traffic, noise and crime, and that “sheltered accommodation is required more than the proposed housing”.

However, the planning application was approved with conditions, because of the need for affordable housing in the borough.

A Sanctuary Herewood spokesman said: "Mills House and Beech Court has provided sheltered housing over a number of years but has become outdated and no longer meets modern requirements.

"Since July 2008, our dedicated team has been working closely with the residents to explain how we intend to redevelop the site and also listen to their needs so that they can be re-housed in accommodation that meets their needs.

"Five residents have successfully moved to homes of their choice and we are looking at options for the 12 remaining residents.

"We appreciate that moving home can be very stressful, especially at this stage in their lives, and we will continue to provide all the support and assistance our residents need.

"Financial support is being given to cover all moving costs along with compensation for any inconvenience the move may bring.

"Rest assured, we will continue to work in partnership with our residents and do everything possible to ensure they are settled in their new home as soon as possible."