Residents on an Oxford estate were baffled to receive letters inviting them to discuss the refurbishment of houses set to be bulldozed.

Oxford City Council plans to pull down 153 prefabricated Orlit houses in Oxford's Rose Hill and replace them with 254 new homes at the end of the year, as part of the regeneration of the estate.

Demolition of a number of the homes is expected to begin this week. But in an administrative blunder, the council wrote to Orlit residents asking them to make an appointment to discuss a revamp of bathrooms and kitchens in the houses.

Liz Pladdys, chairman of Rose Hill Residents and Tenants Association, lives in an Orlit home in Desborough Crescent and was astounded to read the letter.

She said: "I've been there 18 years and they've never asked me about refur- bishment before. It seems ridiculous that they would try to do this now, when the houses are coming down."

Council spokesman Louisa Dean said the letters were sent out by mistake, due to a computer error.

She added: "We apologise to the tenants who received this letter in error.

"We will be sending personal letters to the relevant Orlit properties to clarify the situation."

The issue was raised by city councillor Bill Buckingham, who represents Rose Hill and Iffley, at a meeting of the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership in the community centre.

The Orlit rebuild project began in 2003 and the city council gave final approval last December.

The tender for development of the homes is due to go out at the end of May, with the rebuild beginning at the end of the year.

Of the 254 new houses, 141 will be affordable housing and 113 private. The prefabricated Orlits were built in 1949 and the city council decided they should be replaced as they will be structurally unsafe within 15 years.

As part of the project, £480,000 has been earmarked for community use, under a legal agreement with the future developers.

This includes £100,000 for revamping and improving the community centre in The Oval, £70,000 for improvements to the sports pavilion, and £40,000 on library services.