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'Please don't take away our homes'

Bethan Dorsett
16/ 2/2008

A GROUP of pensioners fear they could be forced from their homes to make way for a road.

The tenants, some of whom are in their 90s, have been told their Hamer bungalows are to be bulldozed.

Rochdale Council is planning to demolish the Cliff Street homes to make way for an area dubbed the ‘Belfield Business Neighbourhood’, an enterprise zone which will house small businesses.

Some of the 16 tenants have welcomed the plan, according to the council, and will consider a suggested move to new bungalows due to be built in Croft Street, Smallbridge.

But others say they are ‘devastated’ by the news.

Marjorie Rolph moved from the Wardleworth home she had lived in since birth to Cliff Street 13 years ago.

The 82-year-old said: "I am a bit disgusted – I don’t want to move further away.

"We have been told we could be moved to Croft Street in Smallbridge, but there are less shops round there, while we have a corner shop in Hamer.

"I moved out of my first home when I was 70. I thought I would end my days here."

Neighbour Elsie Halsworth says Cliff Street is more than just a cluster of 40-year-old bungalows.

"We are quite settled and don’t want to move," said the 82-year-old, who has lived in the bungalow with her husband Jack for 18 years.

"We all know one another. We are very close to the post office here, while the one in Smallbridge is closed."

One of oldest tenants, 93-year-old Tom Bottomley, echoed these concerns, but added that it was an illogical decision as thousands of pounds have just been spent renovating the properties.

Others were concerned that the plan would ‘rip the heart out of Hamer,’ which has seen a social club and a nursing home demolished in recent times.

Following an initial meeting with tenants last week, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing is planning one-to-one sessions during March and April to assess their needs.

It is expected to take over a year to re-house the pensioners.

A council spokesman said: "This proposal is at a very early stage. We felt it was important to get local residents involved early in the process and keep them informed as to what the plans might mean.

"We’ll continue to work with them to ensure that suitable housing is found that meets all of their needs.

"There are no firm plans at the moment, but we’re working with developers and the North West Development Agency to bring a number of factors together – this is likely to take several months.

"It’s part of a regeneration project for the area and would create a new Belfield Business Neighbourhood, providing a great place for local companies and organisations to thrive."