Seven Sisters could be facing demolition
THE landmark tower blocks which have dominated Rochdale’s skyline since the mid-1960s could be demolished under radical new proposals.
Housing bosses are looking at a range of options for the redevelopment of College Bank and Lower Falinge including extensive renovations.
But they also aren’t ruling out the demolition of existing homes, including the Seven Sisters flats.
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing says levels of satisfaction among tenants in the two areas are lower than in some of its other estates.
And this has resulted in fewer people wanting to move to - and stay in - the two neighbourhoods, particularly since the introduction of some welfare reforms such as the ‘bedroom tax’ had reduced the demand for flats.
RBH will be discussing ideas with residents over the next six months, while also pressing the government for extra funding.
The consultation period will also include a review of the design of the estates, whose walls and railings prevent direct access to the surrounding roads.
But while nothing has been ruled out at this stage, RBH says it will not be considering any specific proposals until spring 2017.
Andrew Johnson, secretary of College Bank Tenants and Residents Association, said things were at a very early stage
He said: “It’s about getting the ball rolling and considering a wide variety of options. RBH is going to bring in some consultants with experience of rebuilding and regeneration and we will be working hand-in-hand with them.
“Obviously there has to be an assessment of the long term viability and you can’t rule out demolition.
“That’s a terrifying prospect for some of the tenants, but RBH would have a statutory obligation to give them very high priority as regards rehoming them.”
Andy Littlewood, chair of Lower Falinge Tenants and Residents Association, said he ‘fully supported the review’.
He added: “Lower Falinge has had its fair share of bad press over the last few years and there are issues that need addressing, and hopefully any redevelopment will help with that.
“There’s nothing definite yet so I’m telling people ‘do not worry’ because we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“If it does involve demolition there will be full support from RBH with help looking for new accommodation and removal costs.”
In a statement RBH said: “We’re working with local residents in College Bank and Lower Falinge to discuss how we improve their neighbourhoods for the future. This takes account of reduced demand for flats as a result of recent welfare reforms including the ‘bedroom tax’ and reductions in benefits for single people under 35.
“We have also said to the government that College Bank and Lower Falinge need extra investment and we would like ●●Housing bosses are looking at a range of options for the College Bank and Lower Falinge area, which includes the flats known as the Seven Sisters this to be made available for these areas. We have expressed our interest in bidding for funding from the government’s ‘Estate Regeneration Fund’.
“Between now and next April we will be working with the community to identify what might be possible for both College Bank and Lower Falinge based on various levels of funding.
“Whilst we are looking at a number of options, we don’t know at this stage if any of these could result in recommendations for some level of demolition of existing homes, and we will not be considering any specific proposals until spring 2017 at the earliest.
“We have talked through our approach with local residents via two widely-publicised drop-in events and on our website.”
The Observer asked RBH if the options for demolition included the Seven Sisters and were told all options were being considered.
More information is available at rbh.org.uk/ collegebanklowerfalinge