Now only 100 households are left waiting to find a new home out of around 760 total flats. In October 2025 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) announced they would be emptying all the homes in the iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks, which is actually named College Bank.
This came as a shock to many residents still living there, with some initially fearing they’d need to be out before Christmas.
Landlord RBH later clarified these evictions would take place over the course of 18 months. Just over 10 months later, 117 households have accepted new accommodation.
More have left through what RBH called ‘natural attrition’, which means they left through other reasons than eviction such as tenancies ending, moved out of their own accord or death in some cases. This leaves just over half of the original residents in need of rehousing.
RBH explained a number of safety issues flagged in a recent building survey meant everyone needed to move out. 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.
At the time of the eviction announcement, RBH said all tenants will be supported to move over the coming months, with financial support offered by the social housing landlord. Leaseholders who own their own homes would have their flats bought at market value, according to RBH.
An update from RBH read: “At College Bank, we continue to support our customers to move into their new homes. As of 26 August, 117 households at College Bank have now accepted offers to move, 82 of whom have already moved with a further 35 making final preparations to do so.
“This means that the number of households remaining to rehouse is now under 100.”
This update is the latest in a long saga lasting almost a decade. In 2017, RBH revealed plans to demolish four of the high-rises and redevelop them.
This sparked local backlash, with local campaigners from the Save the Seven Sisters (ST7S) group fighting to stop the plans. 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.
Mark Slater, chair of ST7S, said at the time of the eviction announcement: “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.
“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.”
RBH have repeatedly denied this mass rehousing was a calculated move. They say it has been done on safety grounds.
The social housing provider has highlighted that a number of their tenants have benefited from moving out of College Bank. Some have moved into more spacious homes or gained a garden.
