I WAS astounded to hear about Clover Grass Court in Bratton and its potential closure. It is completely untrue that the housing association do not have a clue on how to keep it open.

I have personally shown them options including advertising the fact that new residents can take an existing small pet with them and also to advertise Clover Grass Court on its own and not in the middle of a pile of other advertising.

As an ex-builder I have put forward ideas on installing a lift or a Stannah stair lift to make the first floor more accessible, and discussions were had on the possible combining of rooms to make availability to some elderly married couples.

They say that they have kept the residents informed and that is a gross exaggeration, although they have had several meetings with them (and I attended the last one as I have a family member there at present and have had others there in the past). They waffle on about options and possibilities, and the only thing that they said which the residents held on to was that closure was the absolute last resort and very unlikely. The residents are worried to the extreme and do not wish to leave.

The housing association says that the reason for possible closure is because there is no take-up in occupancy, but they have put a block on new tenants even though there have been a number of interested parties over the past months. They have, in simple terms, been actively discouraged or given other alternatives.

This perpetuates the housing association's alleged reason for closure as through the natural course of events the occupancy reduces anyway and thus their reasoning becomes more justified.

It is clear that the housing association has no interest in Clover Grass Court as they have themselves made it uneconomic and show little or no regard for the residents.

I suggest that the housing association either thinks again or if it still wishes to close Clover Grass Court it should be considered by an unbiased independent group not associated with either them or the residents.

Lastly, I would suggest that they look into the probable fact that the land that Clover Grass Court is built on, if I remember correctly, might have been donated on condition that the building would be used for the elderly residents in Wiltshire only.

A WALKER

Westbury.