Developer gets green light for 69 affordable homes in Bolton

Families in Breightmet, Bolton, are set to benefit from new affordable homes that have been given the go-ahead.

Bolton at Home has been granted planning permission to build 69 affordable homes on land off Withins Drive.

The development will offer a mix of two- and three-bedroom houses and one- and two-bedroom apartments, all for rent at affordable levels.

The homes will be built for Bolton at Home by developer Watson Homes with work expected to start on site in December and be completed in Spring 2021.

Dominic Conway, director of development and growth at Bolton at Home, said: “This development will revitalise this formerly developed but now vacant site with well-built, energy-efficient affordable homes.

“With over 100 expressions of interest each time one of our properties becomes available in Breightmet, homes like these are central to our aim of providing more affordable housing in Bolton.

“Affordable rented homes play a vital role in stopping people being priced out of the housing market, potentially being forced into temporary accommodation or even homelessness.

“The mix of homes we’ve chosen allows this development to accommodate larger and smaller families, as well as couples and single occupants.”

Mike Watson, director at Watson Homes, said: “We have collaborated once again with Bolton at Home to bring forward a new development of affordable homes that will directly benefit the local community.

“Building the types of homes that people truly need is a core part of our offering and, once this scheme is complete, we hope to see these properties enhance Breightmet residents’ lives.”

Bolton at Home will look to make the new homes at Withins Drive as affordable as possible by making them available at Local Housing Allowance rates. This would keep rents lower than 80% of average private rental charges in the area.

The homes will be built on land that’s been vacant since a former primary school building was demolished in the early 2000s.

The development will feature 51 two- and three-bedroom semi-detached houses, four one-bedroom cottage-style apartments, and 13 two-bedroom maisonette apartments.

The homes will be arranged around a new cul-de-sac access road off Withins Drive, with all the homes benefiting from on-site parking.