We’re on track to complete 178 new homes this summer | News

Our work to ease the shortage of quality affordable homes for people will result in 178 new homes ready by October.

We've completed 62 new builds within the last month and another 116 properties are nearing completion. They’ll be home to individuals and families needing suitable places to live and in areas where they have local connections, including Breightmet, Farnworth, Kearsley and Radcliffe.

Of the total number, we're building 138 with development partners and acquiring 40 from private housebuilders under section 106 agreements.

Most of the new homes will be for affordable rent, with some properties provided for shared ownership. Affordable rent is defined as up to a maximum of 80% of the market rental value in a local area.

As well as creating affordable places for people to live, we’ll reinvest any extra income generated back into services to benefit more customers.

Jon Lord is our Group Chief Executive Officer. Jon said: “We’re providing new homes in places where we know that demand for affordable properties outstrips supply. Therefore, these new affordable homes are vital to help prevent people and families from living in overcrowded homes and to lessen the risk of people becoming homeless.

“The homes will help more people to stay in the areas where they have local connections, keeping families together and communities strong. They also generate more social value by supporting construction jobs and boosting local economies.”

The sites where more new homes are completing in the coming weeks include Withins Drive in Breightmet, and Campbell Street and Barton Road in Farnworth. New homes at the former Kearsley social club site in Manchester Road, Kearsley will complete in October.

Of the homes we’re acquiring from private housebuilders, 25 are in Bolton and 15 are across Leigh, Leyland, and Preston.

Daniela has just moved into a new-build property in Breightmet with her two children. Daniela said: “I’ve been looking for a home for 18 months and living in temporary accommodation for the last 12 months. I’m so grateful to be moving into a three-bedroom property as I had been sharing a bedroom with my youngest child. It’s great the kids now have a room of their own and this is also the first time in years we’ve lived in a house with a garden.”

As well as the new homes completing this summer, we started work earlier this year on other new-build developments that will deliver more than 160 new homes including the Lever Gardens extra care scheme in Little Lever and sites at Singleton Avenue and Rivington Chase in Horwich.

Together these developments will provide homes for affordable rent, shared ownership, and supported living.

We also continue to invest in current homes. We don’t do new build at the expense of existing properties. We’re spending around £43 million a year on tenants’ homes to continue improving homes and neighbourhoods.

Once completed, all new homes for rent are advertised through www.homesforbolton.org.uk

If you’re looking for an affordable home to rent in Bolton, including with us, we encourage you to register and make bids for available properties through the Homes for Bolton website. You can get more information about what’s involved and what you can expect here: www.boltonathome.org.uk/apply-for-a-home

We market our shared ownership properties under the name Stonecross Homes. For more information on Stonecross Homes, available properties and shared ownership, please visit: www.stonecrosshomes.co.uk

Pictured are some of the new homes at Withins Drive, Breightmet.

Working to provide the homes that people need.