Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale, has called on Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) to urgently clarify its plans for the College Bank flats, known locally as the Seven Sisters. The seven tower blocks contain a total of 762 flats, many of which are currently vacant due to uncertainty surrounding their future.

In a letter to RBH Chief Executive Amanda Newton, Mr Waugh voiced his opposition to RBH’s 2017 plan to demolish four of the blocks, aligning with Rochdale Borough Council’s stance against demolition. He emphasised the importance of retaining all 762 flats to tackle the borough’s severe housing shortage, describing the Seven Sisters as essential to addressing Rochdale’s housing emergency.

“I stand with residents fighting to protect their homes and community. In the midst of a housing crisis, we cannot afford to lose a single social home,” Mr Waugh said.

He acknowledged that RBH cannot deliver refurbishment alone, calling for significant investment from both the private and public sectors. Mr Waugh highlighted funding opportunities such as the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and proposed working with Rochdale Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and central government to secure bespoke funding solutions for a long-term refurbishment project.

“With the right investment, we could transform the Seven Sisters into a national example of sustainable housing, preserving generously sized, structurally sound flats while creating a low-carbon community,” he added.

The call comes as Rochdale Borough Council unanimously passed a motion on 18 December 2024, reinforcing its “red line” against demolition. Proposed by Cllr Danny Meredith and seconded by Cllr Tom Besford, the motion instructed the Council’s Chief Executive to communicate its opposition to demolition and invite RBH’s leadership to present plans to save the buildings at a 2025 meeting of the Communities, Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Rochdale declared a housing emergency last year, with over 22,000 people on the waiting list for social housing. Both the Council and Mr Waugh stressed the urgency of refurbishing the Seven Sisters to bring hundreds of homes back into use and ease the borough’s housing crisis.

“Done properly, these flats could be a beacon for low-carbon retrofitting and a crucial part of Rochdale’s housing stock for generations to come,” Mr Waugh concluded.

With a united front from residents, local campaigners including the Save College Bank group and Greater Manchester Tenants Union, the Council, and Mr Waugh, attention now turns to RBH and the need for partnership across sectors to deliver a viable solution.