Ethos Public Relations Manchester

Going, going, gone!

by Ethos public relations

People visiting the Hattersley and Mottrram area of Tameside recently may be forgiven for thinking that 'something was missing'. And they'd be right - about 350 properties have been demolished over the last two years and the demolition programme has now been completed.

Peak Valley Housing Association started its multi-million pound demolition programme in 2006 as part of the regeneration plans for the area. Connell Bros. Ltd., the contactor who undertook the work on behalf of Peak Valley, completed its work in January following the demolition and site clearance of over 350 dwellings.

Managing Director of Peak Valley Phil Corris said: "The demolition programme started with 200 timber panel properties on both sides of Ashworth Lane. These properties were originally built in the 1960s as temporary structures and so they have certainly stood the test of time! However, the cost of modernising these homes was simply too expensive and residents living there were offered a variety of alternative homes. The majority of people elected to remain in Hattersley - either in a fully refurbished house or in a purpose built new dwelling.

"Owner/occupiers of timber panel properties were given assistance to enable them to move to an alternative home through either a shared equity scheme for the new build houses or through using the money they received for their timber panel property to pay for improvement work to existing dwellings which were then transferred into their ownership."

Connell Bros. Ltd worked on a number of sites on Hattersley from the large timber panel site on both sides of the junction of Ashworth Lane and Stockport Road to small garage blocks dispersed across the estate.

"As the old buildings come down Peak Valley Housing Association has been busy investing in its other housing stock," said Phil Corris. "To date we have spent over £18 million modernising homes and we?ve also built over 100 new homes for sale and rent.

"Already Hattersley in 2009 looks totally different to the Hattersley of 2006 and with considerably more plans in the pipeline, Hattersley will continue to be transformed over the next few years."

Posted at 27^th May 2009