Evacuation of Mitchell Hey leaves longtime resident facing homelessness
Fears about future housing after tower block closure
When Malcolm Atkinson blows out his birthday candles this week, he will be wishing not to spend Saturday night sleeping in his van.
The 55-year-old was evacuated from his flat in one of Rochdale’s iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks last month due to safety issues. It was only supposed to be temporary, but now he’ll never be able to return home.
The reason given by landlords Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) was a burst water pipe, which meant water supply was cut off in the Mitchell Hey block.
At the time Malcolm feared he would never be moving back in. Now that fear has become a reality.
RBH has informed all seven of the Mitchell Hey tenants that the building will not reopen, much to their dismay.
“I’m gutted,” Malcolm said. “It’s the only place I’ve ever felt safe. Other places I’ve been burgled, had dog poo thrown through my window and had my car vandalised.
“It’s the only place I’ve never had problems. Now they’re forcing me back into a place where I will face issues once again.
“There are seven of us left in Mitchell Hey, we all look out for each other. Now we’re going to be dispersed to random places.”
Malcolm turns 56 this week, but instead of planning his birthday plans he is stressing about finding a place to live. Ever since March 6 Malcolm has been in and out of different temporary accommodation until he was put up in the Fernhill Bed and Breakfast on Rooley Moor.
His time there runs out on Saturday as the B&B is fully booked after then, so he fears he will be spending Saturday night in his van.
RBH did offer Malcolm different accommodation, but he refused it because he felt it didn’t work for him. Due to his dietary restrictions, he needs self-catering accommodation so he can sustain a healthy diet.
This is something he was unable to do in the temporary accommodation he was provided with initially. He is vegan and has mobility issues connected to his pulmonary fibrosis – a lung condition that makes it difficult to breathe.
Malcolm added: “I am not sleeping properly at all. I am constantly stressed about it. As far as I know I’m going to sleep in my van on Saturday night.
“I’ve really bad mobility issues and problems with my breathing. Sleeping in the back of my van in this weather could kill me, especially if it’s cold and damp.
“I have to spend this week making sure I’m not homeless by Saturday night.
“Wednesday is my birthday so I do have plans for then. This is not what I had planned for it.”
RBH, the social housing landlord responsible for the whole Seven Sisters estate – otherwise known as College Bank – explained the hazardous pipe leak meant no water supply could be provided to the building.
The block, like the others, is decaying fast and largely unoccupied – with only seven out of 120 flats within Mitchell Hey in use. Those ousted tenants were initially put up in the 4-star Mercure Manchester Norton Grange Hotel in Castleton.
The housing provider says the pipe is around 60 years old and requires specialist contractors to carry out repair work. So far, no such contractor has been found, which led to the decision to permanently close Mitchell Hey.
RBH says they have gone ‘above and beyond’ for the ousted residents, even providing accommodation for those who own their flats – despite having no legal obligation to do so. This ‘above and beyond’ claim is something that Malcolm disagrees with.
Like some of his fellow Save the Seven Sisters (ST7S) campaign group, Malcolm is skeptical of the timing of this move by RBH. This is because RBH is currently in the process of moving all 229 households out of the flats due to a number of safety issues flagged in a building survey.
The tower blocks, built in the 1960s, will have more problems as they continue to age, according to RBH. The complete emptying of Mitchell Hey has been seen by some more residents as a purposeful ploy to get people out quicker. RBH has adamantly denied this claim by Malcolm and other campaigners.
Hannah Fleming, RBH Director of Regeneration and Development, said: “Following the recent leak at Mitchell Hey block in College Bank, we have had to make the decision not to reopen the building. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of the seven customers whose homes are in Mitchell Hey, and we are closely supporting them to find new homes.
“The repair required to the ageing water pipe is highly complex and a specialist contractor is required. Despite extensive efforts, we have not found any contractor who is willing or able to take on the work.
“All customers in College Bank are already in the process of moving to new homes by spring 2027 following a decision taken in October 2025. Each of the seven buildings are over 60 years old and are deteriorating which means that the long-term safety of the buildings cannot be confirmed. It was therefore decided to support all remaining residents living in College Bank to find new homes whilst a decision is made on the future of the blocks. Any of the scenarios being explored would require people to move out of their homes.
“Our decision not to reopen Mitchell Hey will protect the safety and wellbeing of our customers and provide them with certainty and clarity during what we know is already a difficult time for many.
“We understand that a number of the residents have lived in College Bank for a long time and have made memories there. We are actively supporting them to find a new home and are working to meet their needs in so far as is possible.
“We will continue to support our customers to make their moves to new homes and seamless and stress free as possible.”
The ST7S campaign group, including Malcolm, has been battling with RBH for years over what the future holds for the blocks. In 2017, RBH revealed plans to demolish four of the high-rises and redevelop much of College Bank.
The idea of demolition sparked local backlash, with local campaigners fighting to stop the plans. Although demolition was eventually ruled out in 2023, a shocking twist in the tale came the following year 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.
The ST7S campaigners said the local consensus remains that demolition of their blocks isn’t supported.
RBH says no decision on the potential demolition of the tower blocks has been made. All of the options being explored, including refurbishment, will require customers to move out of their homes while any works take place, due to ageing of the blocks, according to RBH.