THREE sheltered housing blocks in Oxford face demolition - affecting dozens of elderly residents - under plans drawn up by Oxford City Council.

Housing chiefs want to sell Alice Smith House in Littlemore, Grantham House in Jericho and Cumberlege House in Old Marston and reinvest the cash in the remaining city-owned sheltered schemes.

A fourth site, Rowlands House in Risinghurst, is already being closed to fund the city's refurbishment programme.

Tenant representatives say most residents welcomed the plan, but some elderly and disabled tenants were worried about the stress of upheaval.

The four blocks have been earmarked for demolition because they are outdated and would be expensive to renovate.

The council, that owns 330 of the 1,100 sheltered housing units in the city, hopes to raise £9.1m by selling the land - and hopes future housing developments on the sites will include affordable homes.

The sale cash would be used to fund remodelling work of the remaining 11 city-owned sheltered schemes - along with £5.2m the city has already set aside.

A surplus of £2.2m could be used to upgrade other council homes in the city.

One of the first sheltered blocks to be upgraded, George Moore Close in Littlemore, was reopened last week. Improvements included making all flats self-contained and fitting new kitchens and bathrooms.

Graham Bourton, head of Oxford City Homes, said the aim of the plan was to provide high quality, modern sheltered accommodation.

He said the current standard of some blocks, with bedsit accommodation and shared bathrooms, was unacceptable and unappealing to prospective tenants.

If the plan goes ahead residents in blocks to be closed would be given a high priority for alternative sheltered accommodation in their area.

Tenant representative Malcolm Everton, who lives in Bradlands, a council-owned sheltered block in Marston, said: "Those that are being moved are not over the moon but others can see the benefits. My view is they should go for it because it will give elderly people a better quality of life."

The council's executive member for housing, Patrick Murray, said the plan would to ensure the units that were needed were brought up to a decent standard.