No decision yet on College Bank – but ‘renovation would take more than a decade’

Renovating Rochdale’s iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks would force residents out of their homes for more than a decade, housing chiefs have said.

While Rochdale Boroughwide Housing says no decision on the future of the landmark College Bank blocks has been taken, residents have asked new Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig to back their campaign to refurbish their homes rather than demolish them.

But if campaigners get their wish, the scale of bringing the 61-year-old buildings up to modern standards would take more than 10 years and they could not be occupied until the work is complete, RBH chiefs have said.

Members of Greater Manchester Tenants Union recently met Ms Craig to discuss the steps that could be taken to renovate almost 1,000 homes in College Bank and Lower Falinge.

Plans to demolish College Bank were first discussed in 2017 when RBH warned that the buildings were approaching the end of their life. Tenants set up the Save the Seven Sisters campaign and hoped RBH’s partnership with Legal and General Affordable Homes would see the towers restored. But in September, 2024, it was announced that the partnership would not continue.

The union and the Save the Seven Sisters campaign asked then Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to help. In November, 2024, the Mayoral Taskforce was established to look at the options for the College Bank estate.

Rochdale’s skyline without the Seven Sisters towers. Image: Copilot

In October 2025, RBH announced the results of surveys which found the blocks were not safe to remain occupied and residents would be required to leave their homes.

Campaigners refute the claims and have used Freedom of Information Act requests for Building Safety Regulator documents relating to College Bank and Lower Falinge.

The tenants union said: “It is clear from these documents and statements that for the past two years RBH has been unable or unwilling to comply with the Building Safety Regulator’s requirements for an action plan to address issues which need to be resolved in the medium term at College Bank.

“This includes straightforward basic repairs, cyclical maintenance and issues that would be addressed in any refurbishment plan.”

While RBH says no decision on the future of the College Bank tower blocks has been taken, campaigners want the demolition of Lower Falinge properties to stop.

The landmark College Bank tower blocks dominate Rochdale’s skyline

The tenants union said: “None of the Lower Falinge residents the campaigners have spoken to want this demolition to go ahead, not least because it will decimate the beautiful urban greenspace and considerable biodiversity in the town centre estate.

“RBH refuses to explain why refurbishment is considered too expensive an option. Instead it prefers to continually make unfounded assertions that the homes in Lower Falinge are ‘end-of-life’, that they ‘cannot be occupied’, and that they mysteriously can ‘no longer provide safe, warm homes’ for residents.

“Residents on both estates can see that RBH has deliberately created unfit and unsafe homes through managed decline of housing that they were entrusted with when all the council’s housing was transferred to it in early 2012.”

College Bank resident Ann Jones said: “At a consultation workshop in 2017, one of RBH’s architects was attempting to steer me towards choosing the option for College Bank which involved demolition.

Vacant blocks on the Lower Falinge estate. Image: Google

“This was their aim back then. Today, citing the structural surveys whilst withholding their content, to get people out, is the latest device to try and achieve the demolition of over 750 homes on College Bank alone, while they also intend to demolish over 140 homes on Lower Falinge. This is completely unacceptable in a housing crisis.”

Lower Falinge tenant Andrew Roche said: “I love living on Falinge, and the prospect of losing my home to RBH’s bulldozers is devastating.”

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh backed calls for a swift resolution.

He said: “Tenants have been left in limbo for far too long and I hope that they can be given the answers they need about the safety and the future of their homes.

“I urge RBH to act as swiftly as possible to bring this to a conclusion on behalf of all Rochdale residents during a housing emergency.

“Each day these flats are left empty is another missed opportunity to support the many thousands of Rochdalians living in temporary or unsuitable accommodation.

“The council and GMCA have confirmed their commitment to resolving this longstanding and emotive issue, and I will continue to work with colleagues across government to ensure the best quality housing in Rochdale is realised.”

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh

Hannah Fleming, Director of Regeneration and Asset Improvement at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, said: “It’s important that we make the right decision on the future of College Bank.

“Our focus throughout has been on doing the right thing for current and future customers, ensuring we can provide safe, warm, affordable homes that meet housing need for generations to come.

“Future regeneration options are still being discussed with our partners, including Rochdale Council and the Mayor of Greater Manchester. No final decision has yet been made by the RBH Board.

“What we do know is that there are no simple options. The buildings are more than 60 years old and have continued to deteriorate. Keeping them would require very major works requiring customers to move out for at least a decade.

“That is why, in October, 2025, the board made the difficult decision to begin rehousing customers while longer-term plans are considered. This decision was taken because of concerns about the long-term condition and safety of the buildings, and not because any final regeneration decision had been reached.

“We have already made significant progress on the rehousing programme, with just under 90 households left to find their new home and most customers already settled in their new homes.

“We are working individually with each household to ensure their move is as simple and straightforward as it possibly can be.”

The mayor’s office has been approached for a comment.