By Stefan Morkis

RESIDENTS OF a Dundee sheltered housing complex clashed with city council officials at an ill-tempered meeting in Adamson Court yesterday.

Dundee City Council has proposed reducing the number of wardens at the Kirk Street sheltered housing complex from three to two.

The council claims decreasing demand for sheltered housing has led to less money being recouped through the service charge.

Income from the charge stands at around £2 million a year, and the council says this is not enough to maintain the current sheltered housing provision in the city.

The council is considering decommissioning some sheltered stock and allowing it to be used for mainstream housing.

This will ease the waiting list for homes, and reduce the number of wardens needed in Dundee from 97 to 86.

These proposals have angered residents, to the extent that the lounge in Adamson Court was covered in posters demanding that the council change its mind.

One placard read, ‘Elder’s Court OAPs live in fear and despair. We need our wardens.’

Residents said many were suffering ill health because of the stress of living alongside anti-social neighbours.

“The health and safety of tenants and wardens should be the council’s biggest priority,” said one.

Tenants in the sheltered housing complex also expressed concern about what would happen if two emergencies occurred simultaneously and only one warden was on duty.

Housing services manager Jim Fenton told the gathering that other sheltered housing complexes coped with only one warden.

Mr Fenton did tell residents that the city council would monitor the effect withdrawing the third warden has on the sheltered housing complex.

“We will monitor the situation— and, given how vociferous you’ve been, you’ll soon tell us if it is not working,” he told the tenants.

Mr Fenton said the council could not solve the problems of anti-social behaviour overnight.

“We do vet tenants, but the council has an obligation to house people,” he said.