There are more than 1,000 chasing homes in the Breightmet housing complex.
The startling disclosure coincides with the nearing completion of the Breightmet Blenheim Avenue development, which consists of a three-story block of 24 apartments and 16 houses.
According to data obtained by The Bolton News, there is a high level of interest in the new residences—about 800 people have expressed interest in the houses and 400 in the apartments.
“These figures show how the national housing crisis is felt on the ground here in Bolton,” Breightmet councillor Sean Fielding stated.
“Most of the casework I receive where I can offer no help is housing.
“Visiting folks in houses where people are ill due to poor maintenance or where there isn’t enough room for kids to do their homework quietly due to overcrowding is incredibly upsetting.
Although Blenheim Avenue is a good development, it falls short of meeting the demand for reasonably priced housing.
“Bolton at Home and other social landlords are making the best of their financial situation, but in the end, a national solution that is comparable in scope to the post-war housing boom is required.
“This can only be provided by the government, but the current administration is either doing nothing or just enabling the construction of homes that are either too expensive for the general public to buy or too expensive for the majority of those who need them.”
In June 2022, Bolton Council accepted the plans for the new dwellings on the site of the former St Osmund’s RC Primary School off Blenheim Road.
When the development is complete, there will be a three-story apartment building, five two-bedroom houses, and eleven three-bedroom houses.
There will be six two-bedroom apartments and eighteen one-bedroom apartments in the complex.
It is planned for eight of them to be accessible under the “rent to buy” plan.
However, the overwhelming majority of applicants have little chance of getting placed in them due to the large volume of bids.
According to the most recent data, Bolton at Home estimated in January of this year that approximately 9,000 people were on the waiting list for social housing, the majority of whom would never find a place to live.
However, the housing organisation claims that the huge demand demonstrates how crucial projects like Blenheim Avenue have been in addressing waiting lists.
“The new homes at Blenheim Road in Breightmet have attracted a high level of interest and will help us provide more people with an affordable and sustainable place to live,” said Dominic Conway, director of development and expansion at Bolton at Home company.
We can assist more individuals and families in a variety of situations because the development offers a mix of inexpensive and for sale rental properties.
It’s no secret that there is a severe shortage of affordable housing in the UK, not just in our local towns but throughout the entire country.
Because of this, investing in and renovating our current homes in addition to developing new ones is a crucial component of our plan.
“We are on pace to provide 1400 new homes by 2026, as per our 2020 goal.
“Over the next few years, hundreds of millions of pounds will be invested in our current residences as part of our extensive stock investment strategy.
The demand for housing must be met collectively.
In order to assist as many people as possible in finding a suitable and affordable home, we collaborate closely with other organisations and housing providers throughout the region.
