THE owner of a seafront nursing home, which is set for closure after being snapped up by property developers, has assured the Daily Echo that none of her 32 residents will be left high and dry.

Marilyn Woods, of Shore House Nursing and Retirement Home in Swanage, who decided to sell up and retire herself after 21 years in the care home industry, said: "Obviously there have been concerns from residents, their families and my staff, but we are working together and I am confident everyone will be rehoused.

"I can say there has been no animosity from residents, residents' families and staff, who are effectively being put out of a job."

Purbeck District Council planning chiefs rubber-stamped an application to build a 24-flat complex on the site earlier this year.

The property deal is likely to net Mrs Woods well over £1 million.

D-day for residents is on December 10, but already 16 of them have secured somewhere else to live.

Neighbours of the property in Shore Road fought against the flats, arguing the home's elderly residents have been put under undue stress.

They also believe the new complex will be "at odds with the character of the north Swanage urban landscape". One neighbour even described the proposed building as resembling a "prison block".

The flat-building explo-sion has raised concerns in the wider Bournemouth area recently.

This week civic leader Cllr Ron Whittaker dubbed Bournemouth as "Flats-ville-on-Sea" following revelations the resort will be home to more apartments than houses by 2014.

Mrs Woods, aged 60, said: "My residents and their families have been given plenty of time to find alternative accommodation.

"We have been working very closely with social services and other residential homes to re-house all of them.

"There are still two-and-a-half months to go and at the moment things are running very smoothly."

Some residents are moving to The Old Rectory home, in nearby Langton Matravers.