I write about the closure soon of warden-controlled Grantham House in Jericho, Oxford, resulting in 37 elderly residents being moved, as the city council has sold the site for £6m to a private developer.

Some residents tell me they have been told they must vacate, but they know little about why and where they are going.

They would prefer to stay in the Jericho area.

Can I put their minds at ease? As an ex-resident, who still owns property there, I have taken this matter up with the city council housing department.

It is too costly to refurbish Grantham House and bring it up to European standards, involving wheelchair access, ensuite bathrooms and own bedrooms.

Therefore, the council has sold Grantham House and bought part of the Lucy site so that Jericho people will still live in Jericho, with a well-run housing association looking after their everyday needs.

The council tells me that every resident at Grantham House has been given the choice to move to the Lucy site in Walton Well Road and to another part of Oxford.

The council has told me that it has met residents regularly, and that consultation is ongoing.

It was concerned to hear that some residents were not sure what was happening.

While it is unfortunate that elderly residents have to move, can I thank the council for implementing the European residential care standards and providing Jericho residents with a choice, especially the offer of staying in Jericho so close to local amenities and Port Meadow?

However, can I appeal to the council to relay this information to the residents of Grantham House, so that they know what is happening?

MICHAEL HOLDER, Collinwood Road, Risinghurst, Oxford