Rochdale’s demolition-threatened Seven Sisters tower blocks could yet be saved after the council announced it was to explore the possibility of buying back the landmark high-rises. The College Bank flats have been owned and managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) since the local authority transferred its housing stock to the landlord in 2012.
However, relations between the council and RBH have become increasingly strained over recent years, with the housing organisations controversial proposals to drop four of the Seven Sisters as part of a regeneration ‘masterplan’ being fiercely criticised by councillors of all stripes. RBH has previously said it would be ‘willing to facilitate the council taking on responsibility’ for the Seven Sisters, if it came forward with ‘a realistic alternative plan to generate the £90m-plus needed to fund the works to all seven blocks at College Bank’.
But now, in a surprise move, the government has given the council permission to again open a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) with no ‘legacy debt’ - opening the door to the council again owning and managing its own social housing stock. It will now commission two reports - one that will explore the possibility bringing the Seven Sisters back under local authority ownership, and a second that will look into building council houses in the borough for the first time in 20 years.
