OVERSTEADS HOUSE: RESIDENTS of Oversteads House, Ushaw Moor, Durham City, would like to thank John Routledge for his letter (HAS, Page 4, Dec 19) which asked why Durham City Council won't let the empty flats in Oversteads House.

The council has told us that there is a waiting list for sheltered flats in Oversteads House, but it says that it will not let the empty flats while it is making a study for a regeneration scheme. This has been going on for more than half a year now.

The council has recently spent more than £250,000 refurbishing Oversteads House. Earlier this year, it asked the residents if they would like to move to bungalows. We said no, as we want to stay in our homes within Oversteads House, where we feel safe.

We have been told that we, the existing residents, will not be forced to leave our homes. So there should be no question over the future of Oversteads House.

When will the council take Oversteads House out of its redevelopment study and agree to let the empty flats? Everyone has been kept in the dark long enough.- K Flatley, Resident, Oversteads House, Ushaw Moor, Durham City.