ELDERLY people in Petersfield have been living a nightmare because unsuitable tenants have been housed among them, it was claimed this week.

Peter Cooper from Ramscote Sheltered Homes Residents Association claimed this week elderly residents had been fobbed off by the Drum Housing Association when they complained about noise and abuse from neighbours.

People from the Petersfield area were being asked for their views on noise by East Hampshire District CouncilÕs environment protection manager Patricia Hughes, who is currently working on a noise management strategy.

Mr Cooper told her that serious noise problems were caused by Drum Housing Association and the district council housing Òthe wrong people in the wrong areasÓ.

Mr Cooper told councillors the problem arose in Cranford Road where there were five blocks of maisonettes which housed elderly people.

ÒWe were all in bed by 9 pm and all suffered from the same sort of problems,Ó said Mr Cooper, Òthen the housing association moved in a young woman who turned her radio on at 2 am. It made a hell of a row and the rest of us felt that a handful of sand had been thrown into the works.Ó

Mr Cooper said: ÒThe blame lies somewhere Ð either with the housing association, or the district council, or communication between the two.Ó

He told them the problems created would not exist

if more take was taken in placing people.

ÒIf you didnÕt house these people with elderly people what they are doing would not be noise. It would not be noise if these people were housed with others of their own ilk.Ó

EHDC Leader Elizabeth Cartwright told the meeting: ÒI have always considered it was crazy to house young people among elderly people in flats because it is a recipe for disaster. However well behaved they are, they have different hours and different levels of acceptable noise.Ó

She added: ÒAs a housing authority we ought to take more consideration where we can to put people in the right places.Ó

In former years the council had more success with placing tenants: ÒWe are not allowed to do this any more,Ó Mrs Cartwright told the meeting, Òbecause if we donÕt house people who have the highest priority we get ticked off by the Audit Commission and criticised for not housing those

with the greatest need. We

are between a rock and a

hard place.Ó

ÒI still maintain,Ó she said, Òthat we could sometimes do a better job and I think the criticism here tonight is justified, it is very difficult for younger people to live with older people.Ó

Mrs Hughes reminded members of the public that they could use the 24-hour emergency service if they experienced noise problems.

And community corporate director Daphne Gardner added: ÒI donÕt think it is right for any party to abrogate responsibility. But we do

need to house people and house them according to their need. If people have problems the best way to resolve them is for the housing association, the

council and the individual to work together.Ó