Walkden town centre housing project stalled as contractor goes bust

The large red steel frame at the junction between Manchester Road, High Street, Bolton Road, Bridgewater Road, and Memorial Road was going to be turned into an over-55s housing retreat.

But the contractor that property manager Housing 21 employed to complete the work, Alderley Group, has gone bust, according to the National Fraud Helpline, leading to concerns over who will finish the project.

The red steel frame (Image: Dan Dougherty)

A Housing 21 Spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on behalf of other organisations. However, we can confirm work on the site has been temporarily paused whilst we source a replacement contractor to deliver the scheme.

We are keeping all interested parties updated with progress and would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding.

“Our priority remains to deliver quality Retirement Living properties for older people and we look forward to completing the development and welcoming the first residents as soon as possible.”

Initially, there were concerns amongst residents that the building had stalled due to a planning infraction, but this soon turned out to be false.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

The building ceased in June because Alderley, the group responsible for bringing the project to life, went into administration.

Housing 21 are now looking for new contractors to deliver on the Walkden scheme, leading to delays in the building process.

The Alderley Group was a social housing investment group involved in numerous affordable property development schemes around the North West.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

But the housing giant went into administration in June of this year, leaving many of its development projects, including the Walkden retirement centre, unfinished.

The website for the Alderley Group no longer exists, and it is no longer possible to contact them via email or phone.

The National Fraud Helpline is urging affected Alderley investors to come forward to reclaim potential losses.