SHELTERED housing tenants are set to be moved out of their homes so the building can be re-developed into affordable housing for families.

Poole council is planning to demolish Cynthia House off Ringwood Road, which contains 39 bedsits, and build 22 ‘general needs’ homes comprising ten three-bedroom houses and 12 one or two-bedroom flats.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Karen Rampton told members that Cynthia House, which was built in 1971, was becoming more expensive to maintain, and there were five empty properties that had been difficult to let, with an annual rent loss of £16,424. Some of the homes had previously been advertised up to 16 times. Now, due to the lack of demand, they are no longer being advertised for the housing register.

Councillors voted to spend £115,000 to develop the project design for the replacement building. The whole project is estimated to cost £3.8m.

Cllr Rampton said while residents of Cynthia House had expressed concerns about moving out of their homes, “once the reasons were explained their fears were allayed”.

Residents will be re-housed into other sheltered accommodation across Poole before work begins. Each resident will receive home loss payments – a minimum of £6,100 – and a £2,000 moving assistance fund.

Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) is due to be supporting affected residents in finding alternative accommodation and bidding for properties.

In 2016, PHP carried out a review of sheltered housing stock in the borough and found a number of sites where housing was not deemed to be “unpopular”, “not fit for purpose” and taking a long time to let.

The housing register has shown a “significant demand” for two and three-bedroom family homes, according to the council.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, council leader Janet Walton said the scheme to redevelop Cynthia House was a “good way of bringing about effective accommodation for people”.

A report by PHP officers states the “new, fit for purpose general needs flats will help to meet Poole’s future housing needs”.