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Tenants of the Seven Sisters tower blocks have been told they all need to move out
Over the course of 2026 hundreds of residents living in the iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks in Rochdale are expected to move out.
It looked like it was going to be yet another year in limbo for tenants until a sudden decision came in October. Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), who own the Seven Sisters blocks, actually named College Bank, issued a devastating letter to over 200 on October 22 saying they would have to move out.
RBH explained a number of safety issues flagged in a recent building survey were the reason behind the decision.
It will take around 18 months to find residents new homes and move them out, the Manchester Evening News understands.
RBH say independent experts have been undertaking safety and structural surveys to each of the seven buildings, which will inform a decision on the future of the blocks by the end of the year.
Structural and electrical issues; problems with the water pumping system; roof damage; and the ever-increasing costs for customers to heat and light their homes were all raised in the surveys.
The tower blocks synonymous with the Rochdalian skyline have stood since the 1960s. Many tenants have been living there for the majority of those 60 years.
Skeptical residents believed this latest move has only been done to force through demolition of the blocks, something they’ve been campaigning hard to stop for a decade.
In 2017, RBH revealed plans to demolish four of the high-rises and redevelop them – sparking backlash. Although demolition was eventually ruled out in 2023, a twist in the tale came last October when RBH put ‘all options back on the table’.
After coming out of an ‘exclusivity agreement’ with Legal and General, which looked into a cost-effective way to refurbish Mitchell Hey, Dunkirk Rise, Tentercroft and Town Mill Brow tower blocks, the social housing operator refused to rule out razing them to the ground.
Still, RBH says no decision on the potential demolition of the tower blocks has been made. But it is understood that an update on the redevelopment is expected in the early part of 2026.
The ‘Save the Seven Sisters’ group (ST7S) say if they are to be moved, they’ll need to be dragged out kicking and screaming.
Speaking back in October, Mark Slater, chair of ST7S, said: “This certainly feels like a step back. But as a campaign group we’ll do what we’ve always done, and that is regroup.
“I don’t accept that we all have to move out. It’s not a reality I am considering.
“RBH, overnight have made a decision to inform tenants that there are some safety issues. No matter how they qualify it by saying they’re not immediate, they’ve now put the fox in the hen house because people will panic.
“They try to qualify it by saying it’s not immediate but we need to clear the blocks.
“At the moment they are mounting a campaign of social vandalism. It’s demolition by the back door.
“Suggesting the blocks need to be clear ‘before they make a decision’, that would suggest the decision has already been made. With no activity on the site, demolition becomes more of a probability than it does with people living here.
“Personally I think it’s a calculated move, it’s a strategy. Ever since the original proposal there has been a desire from the organisation to demolish some or all of Seven Sisters, but we won’t let it happen.”
According to RBH, a majority of the residents have been spoken to about their options going forward and will be supported to move over the coming months, with financial support offered by the social housing landlord. Leaseholders who own their own homes will have their flats bought at market value, RBH said previously.
Hannah Fleming, RBH director of regeneration and development, said: “In October we wrote to all our customers in College Bank to let them know that they would need to start moving out of the seven blocks. This was a very difficult decision, which was wholly focused on ensuring the long-term safety of our customers. We know this is a long process which we expect to take up to 18 months.
“As of December 2, we have now spoken directly to around three-quarters of the 229 households at College Bank, and we have carried out almost 100 detailed housing needs assessments. We’re really grateful to all the customers who have spoken to our team so far, and we are continuing to speak to our customers every day, as well as holding twice-weekly drop-in sessions on site.
“Two households from College Bank have now already moved into their new homes, and five further households have had offers on new homes accepted and are set to move soon. Our first customer to move told us he was thrilled to be able to move from a bedsit in College Bank into his own flat. We were so pleased to hear about how happy he is to have a separate bedroom of his own, after 44 years in a bedsit.”
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