SIR, I was concerned to read in the Monmouthshire Beacon, Wednesday 19th November, that Raglan's St Cadoc's Court is due to close and be demolished. We have heard rumours of its demise for some time but now that it is official I must voice my concerns. Having lived in Raglan all my life, and worked in and run a grocery business in the village for much of that time, I can remember better times for the old people's home, with all the flats full of residents being looked after by on-site wardens. The wardens would organise functions, trips and parties for the residents, and St Cadoc's always struck me as a well-run, happy place, where people had plenty of companionship and stimulation. The building itself was "state of the art" at the time, however, over the years, what was "state of the art" is now outdated and "not fit for purpose" in the 21st century. But to simply demolish the building and replace it with more bungalows is nothing more than a disgrace and extremely short-sighted. It has recently been reported in the press that loneliness is a major problem in the elderly and a community such as St Cadoc's addresses this issue perfectly. For many years now I have watched with dismay as a procession of elderly customers are re-located to homes in all parts of the county at a time of life when you most need your friends and family around you, even splitting up couples who have been together for many years, which frankly is shameful. I have customers who are regularly unable to visit their spouses in care homes on a regular basis, I watch them turn from happy, outgoing individuals into guilt-ridden, unhappy people. I find it abhorrent that in their twilight years pensioners are faced with this situation. Raglan has one of the largest numbers of bungalows for elderly people in Monmouthshire, managed and maintained by Monmouthshire Housing Association, they are also responsible for St Cadoc's Court. There is surely a need for a retirement care home in this area. A place where residents could be visited by friends and family, and share companionship with others that they may have known for many years. We are constantly hearing about how many new care homes we will need to build to care for an ever-growing elderly population, so why not one in Raglan? Why not a new, refurbished care home run by Monmouthshire Housing Association or by a private operator? I have shared my feelings about this with many Raglan residents in the last few months and have been delighted with their response. I have yet to talk to someone who is against the idea of a care home in Raglan, although I am sure such people exist. The Raglan Conservation Group feels very strongly about the planned closure of St Cadoc's Court and will be putting a petition against this in the Raglan Post Office. Anyone who supports this view is invited to sign it. We would be extremely interested to hear the views of our local politicians on this matter. Emails have been sent eliciting their response, but to date no reply has been received. Andrew Watkins (Raglan)