Hundreds of Rochdale Residents Face Forced Eviction as Iconic Seven Sisters Towers Face Uncertain Future
Rochdale, Greater Manchester — Hundreds of residents living in the iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks are set to be moved out over the course of 2026, following a sudden and controversial decision by housing association Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
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For years, tenants say they were left in limbo regarding the future of the towering complex—which has dominated Rochdale’s skyline since the 1960s. However, the situation escalated rapidly in October when RBH, the blocks' owner, issued devastating letters to over 200 households on October 22nd.
In the correspondence, RBH informed residents they would have to vacate their homes, citing a recent building survey that uncovered a number of serious safety issues.
According to the housing association, independent experts flagged structural and electrical defects, problems with the water pumping system, roof damage, and the ever-increasing costs for customers to heat and light their homes. Consequently, RBH stated that it would take approximately 18 months to find residents new homes and execute the moves.
However, the decision has been met with fierce skepticism and resistance from the community. Many residents believe the safety concerns are being leveraged to force through the demolition of the blocks—a plan tenants have been campaigning hard to stop for over a decade.
The history of the Seven Sisters, also known as College Bank, has been fraught with tension since 2017, when RBH first revealed controversial plans to demolish four of the high-rises. While demolition was officially ruled out in 2023, the long-running saga took another twist last October. Following the end of an lock-out agreement with Legal and General—which had been exploring cost-effective refurbishment options for Mitchell Hey, Dunkirk Rise, Tentercroft, and Town Mill Brow—RBH announced that all options were back, "on the table".
While RBH insists that no final decision on the potential demolition of the tower blocks has been made, the housing operator has refused to rule out razing them to the ground. An update on the redevelopment is expected in the early part of 2026.
Tensions are high among the long-term tenants, some of whom have lived in the towers for the majority of their 60-year history. The ‘Save the Seven Sisters’ (ST7S) group has vowed to fight the eviction, stating they would need to be, "dragged out kicking and screaming".
RBH says that a majority of the residents have been spoken to about their options and will be supported to move over the coming months, with financial support offered. Leaseholders who own their own homes will have their flats bought at market value, the association confirmed.
As 2026 approaches, hundreds of Rochdale families face the prospect of leaving the community that has defined their lives, waiting to see if the Seven Sisters will under-go a refurbishment—or be erased from the skyline forever.
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For years, tenants say they were left in limbo regarding the future of the towering complex—which has dominated Rochdale’s skyline since the 1960s. However, the situation escalated rapidly in October when RBH, the blocks' owner, issued devastating letters to over 200 households on October 22nd.
In the correspondence, RBH informed residents they would have to vacate their homes, citing a recent building survey that uncovered a number of serious safety issues.
According to the housing association, independent experts flagged structural and electrical defects, problems with the water pumping system, roof damage, and the ever-increasing costs for customers to heat and light their homes. Consequently, RBH stated that it would take approximately 18 months to find residents new homes and execute the moves.
However, the decision has been met with fierce skepticism and resistance from the community. Many residents believe the safety concerns are being leveraged to force through the demolition of the blocks—a plan tenants have been campaigning hard to stop for over a decade.
The history of the Seven Sisters, also known as College Bank, has been fraught with tension since 2017, when RBH first revealed controversial plans to demolish four of the high-rises. While demolition was officially ruled out in 2023, the long-running saga took another twist last October. Following the end of an lock-out agreement with Legal and General—which had been exploring cost-effective refurbishment options for Mitchell Hey, Dunkirk Rise, Tentercroft, and Town Mill Brow—RBH announced that all options were back, "on the table".
While RBH insists that no final decision on the potential demolition of the tower blocks has been made, the housing operator has refused to rule out razing them to the ground. An update on the redevelopment is expected in the early part of 2026.
Tensions are high among the long-term tenants, some of whom have lived in the towers for the majority of their 60-year history. The ‘Save the Seven Sisters’ (ST7S) group has vowed to fight the eviction, stating they would need to be, "dragged out kicking and screaming".
RBH says that a majority of the residents have been spoken to about their options and will be supported to move over the coming months, with financial support offered. Leaseholders who own their own homes will have their flats bought at market value, the association confirmed.
As 2026 approaches, hundreds of Rochdale families face the prospect of leaving the community that has defined their lives, waiting to see if the Seven Sisters will under-go a refurbishment—or be erased from the skyline forever.
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