Residents of a sheltered housing block say they are “utterly distraught” at being moved out before their building is demolished as part of a £4billion redevelopment of Brent Cross and Cricklewood.

A total of 25 vulnerable and elderly residents of the Rosa Freedman Centre in Claremont Way, Cricklewood, will be split up and moved-potentially out of the borough before diggers move in at the end of 2016 for the first phase of the major upgrade planned for the area.

At a meeting with Barnet Homes more than 20 residents were “shocked” to find that they would be permanently “decanted” out of their warden-assisted homes despite plans to build a state-of-art ‘Sheltered plus’ centre on the site which none of them would qualify for due to the nature of their care needs.

One 63-year-old resident who has severe mobility needs told the Times: “It’s been a real shock to all of us and a really big upset because we might have to move out of the area. This really is hitting residents hard-one lady who’s lived here for 13 years is utterly distraught.

“There has been an outpouring of frustration because we’ve had to drag them to meetings to explain what is going to happen.

“They’re building a shelter plus centre to replace is but it won’t be for us- none of us qualify. We all have to go and find homes elsewhere.”

An 84-person day care centre providing company and respite services for elderly and special needs patients on the site is due to close its doors on July 24 with replacement provision being sought in other centres around Brent from July 27.

A spokeswoman for Barnet Homes, who run the sheltered housing service at the centre, said: “The sheltered housing provision will not be stopped until all residents have been successfully and happily rehoused by Barnet Homes – we are in the process of rehousing the Sheltered Housing residents at the moment and are supporting them at every step throughout the process.”

Eighteen elderly residents have already been moved out of a dedicated residential care home on the Rosa Freedman centre site in October 2014.

A spokeswoman for Barnet Council said: “The Rosa Freedman Centre is not being re-provided but it is envisaged an extra care facility and a variety of other facilities will form part of the proposals for Brent Cross Cricklewood South.”