Hampton Wick's respite home for the elderly, Moiravale, is to close this summer.

And White Farm Lodge in Vicarage Road, Whitton, is to be gradually dissolved by the year 2000 and its 49 places transferred to Richmond's remaining four homes for the elderly.

Hampton Wick Councillor Tony Arbour described the closure of Moiravale as: "Selling off the crown jewels. With its river frontage it's a very valuable property. I suspect it is a realisation of assets rather than improving the service and I feel there is a greater need for respite care in general than there is for ordinary care for the elderly."

The Victorian house, said to be a home of Lily Langtry, currently provides 19 places for short-term respite care.

Places will be transferred to Richmond's four remaining homes for the elderly - Gifford House, Greville House, Craig House and Laurel Dene.

A group calling itself the Concerned Relatives of White Farm Lodge Association is to hold a protest meeting on February 5. Spokesman Michael Markwick said: "It is so cold-hearted with no consideration at all. My concern is for residents whose relatives are elderly. My mother is a resident and at 61 I'm relatively youthful. But some of the relatives are as old as 84 - what are they going to do if their relatives are transferred to Ham?"

Council leader David Williams said: "Moiravale is very expensive to run and there are very good alternatives already a lot cheaper in the borough. But the intention is to find high quality respite care as a replacement for Moiravale and not just close it. White Farm Lodge needs very extensive modernisation and we think the best solution for everybody is to either transfer that home to the private sector but the residents will be protected."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.