Government ‘sinks’ £563,000 into estate plan
THE controversial transformation of College Bank and Lower Falinge has received a £563,000 boost from a government fund to improve ‘sink estates’.
Landlords Rochdale Boroughwide Housing have been given £518,000 from the Estate Regeneration Fund to continue drawing up plans for the regeneration of the two estates.
The council has also received £45,000 for the same pot.
Award-winning architecture firm Levitt Bernstein, which was responsible for the transformation of Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, has been commissioned to work on the project.
A three month consultation with residents is currently underway, with three options being considered – ranging from repairs and refurbishment to demolition and rebuilding.
MP Simon Danczuk has previously said knocking down the ‘iconic’ Seven Sisters tower blocks will do nothing to tackle the housing crisis and accused RBH of mismanaging the flats.
He said: “RBH are refusing to accept their own fault in all this. Not once have they offered to improve their own performance in managing the flats.
“Demolition of hundreds of homes is an extreme measure that I will not support.”
Clare Tostevin, RBH director of communities, said the housing association is still listening to the views of tenants before developing more detailed proposals for discussion in April.
She added: “We are delighted that the government has allocated grant funding to support our work in College Bank and Lower Falinge and that we received the full amount that we bid for.
“We will be using this funding to continue our work with the community to develop proposals and ensure that they can offer the best possible outcomes for both current and future residents in Rochdale town centre.
“We are at the very start of this work and this funding will help us to identify and secure the additional investment we expect to make with our partners in these communities.
“When the government announced the Estate Regeneration Fund we said that central Rochdale was an area that needed additional investment.”
Rochdale-raised Communities Secretary Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: “For too long a number of housing estates across the country have been areas characterised by low-quality homes and high social deprivation.
“This government is determined to have a housing market that works for everyone.
“That’s why we’re turbocharging the regeneration of these rundown estates in the North West, so they can thrive as communities.”
More information on the proposals can be found at rbh.org.uk/collegebanklowerfalinge.