FEARS are growing for the future of a sheltered housing scheme which provides accommodation for elderly people in Allendale.

Registered charity Anchor Homes has launched a review of the services it provides at Arnison Close, and confirmed it is considering the possibility of transferring the 12-bedroom complex to another provider.

Local county councillor Colin Horncastle is seeking assurances of the future of the scheme, insisting it is a vital facility for the community.

Speaking at last Thursday’s meeting of Allendale Parish Council, Coun. Horncastle said: “We need answers here. If Anchor Homes is going to sell or transfer Arnison Close to another provider, we need to know that it is going to stay open.

“I don’t mind who runs it, so long as it remains open because if it closed it would be an horrendous loss.”

Joanne Hanson, senior district manager for Arnison Close, said residents and their families were being consulted as part of a review of services.

She added: “We are obliged to review our locations to ensure we are meeting our charitable objectives and using resources in the most effective way.

“We have recently looked hard at the service we provide at Arnison Close and as a result, we are considering the possibility of transferring the location to another provider.”