Sally Army bangs drum with £2.9m affordable housing scheme
Building work is underway on a £2.9m development that will transform a derelict site and boost the supply of homes available for affordable rent in Bolton.
Manchester-based Harbur Construction is building a complex of 30 apartments on Back Church Street.
The scheme will revitalise an area of land which was left vacant when a Salvation Army Housing Association (Saha) homeless hostel was demolished to make way for the association’s new Muamba House. The apartments will take up the remaining footprint of the site.
The three-storey development consists of three separate blocks comprising 24 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments.
The development will be owned and managed by Saha, which will make the properties available for affordable rent.
Richard Hutchinson, managing director at Harbur Construction, said: “The scheme will provide a safe, high quality and affordable place to live for the people who need it most, while contributing to the regeneration of the Little Bolton neighbourhood, so it’s pleasing to see the space used in such a positive way.
“It has been designed sensitively to fit in with the surrounding urban fabric using red brick and pitched roofs, while coloured doors will add character and individual charm to the properties.”
Arranged in a horseshoe shape around a communal courtyard, all homes will be accessed by decks, while the two-bedroom properties will have access to a separate family friendly garden space.
John Macfarlane, head of capital projects at Salvation Army Housing Association, added: “We are looking at a new type of approach at this flagship scheme, which will help residents save even more money, and we will be working with the council on this.”
Salvation Army Housing Association is a member of the Bolton Community Homes Partnership, which is a partnership of housing organisations working with Bolton Council to ensure the housing needs of the borough are met.
The development was funded with help from the Homes and Communities Agency. It was designed by Bauman Lyons Architects and is expected to be completed in January 2018.
