AN OLDER people's charity has branded a developer's claims that there is no demand for retirement homes in a leafy Eastleigh suburb as "absolute rubbish".

Bosses at Age Concern spoke out after Banner Homes Wessex slashed the number of flats it plans to build for people aged 55 or over in Chandler's Ford from 59 to 23.

The Otterbourne company told members of Eastleigh Council's Chandler's Ford Local Area Committee they were having difficulty selling retirement homes.

But Peter Molyneux, chairman of the Chandler's Ford branch of Age Concern, told the Daily Echo: "I think it's absolute rubbish. There's a constant demand for that kind of accommodation.

"I believe these flats are wanted but the company just doesn't want to build them. They probably see more money in the open market."

Mr Molyneux said older people, and widows in particular, were always asking him where they could buy single flats in Chandler's Ford.

He added: "I think it's very sad."

But Piers Banfield, group sales and marketing director for the company, hit back.

He said: "We fully accept there's a demand for that kind of application which is why we're keeping some on the development. It's the matter of whether there is 59 units of demand for the development which we don't believe there is."

At the meeting, planning officer Louise Cutts had backed up the claim when she told councillors: "The new application reflects what's happening in the market much better than the outline application."

Councillors agreed to remove the age restriction on the Hursley Road development.

Full permission was granted subject to agreement on layout of 71 parking spaces.

The retirement flats will be in a three-storey block at the back of the site, together with one flat to be sold on the open market and four flats to be made available on an affordable basis.