Wigan Council puts forward plan for bungalows and supported living unit scheme

A scheme comprising of bungalows and a supported living unit and children’s play area could soon be on its way.

Wigan Council has submitted an application for the development on land to the south of York Street in Leigh.

The plans would comprise of eight one and two-bedroom bungalows, a supported living unit containing five one-bedroom apartments and a children’s play area. Communal and staff space is also included in the proposals.

The affordable rented homes will provide housing to suit older and disabled residents and those requiring supported living.

In its design and access statement on behalf of the council, agent John McCall Architects, said: “This design and access statement has been prepared on behalf of Wigan Council to support a planning application for the development on a former residential site on York Street, Leigh.

“The new proposed scheme is for 13 units in total comprising a mix of one and two bed semi detached bungalows and a small supported living unit with staff

support.

“The site is a brownfield site previously occupied by flats until demolition 15-20 years ago and is currently grassed over, vacant and used as occasional by the local community.

“The total site area comes to 0.4ha and has no real ecological value except for three mature trees which will be retained in the proposed scheme.”

The documents said a number of other sites were considered at the same time, but they were either official green spaces or not within the ownership of the council, so would have made the scheme more expensive. Two parking spaces have been set for each two-bedroom bungalow while there is one space for each one-bedroom bungalow.

Within the supported living unit, eight spaces have been provided for residents and staff.

The council is developing the homes to meet an identified need for affordable rented and supporting housing in the area.

The homes will be owned and managed by the council within its housing revenue account, which has a holding of around 22,000 council homes across the borough.

The homes will be let at “affordable rent” levels which are capped at a maximum of 80 per cent of local market rent levels.

The application reads: “The scheme will provide a range of house types to suit older and disabled residents and those requiring supported living.

“All first and subsequent lettings of general needs homes will be to applicants registered on the council’s housing register and assessed as being in need of social housing.

“The supported housing unit will be let to service users with complex learning disabilities assessed by Adult Social Care as having long term care and support needs, the accommodation has been specifically designed to provide a long term, safe and affordable home for these service users.

It added: “It is intended that the scheme is part funded via grant from the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, which is for the provision of affordable homes, which will remain affordable in the

future.

“The homes will remain in the council’s housing stock in perpetuity, however general needs homes will be subject to the statutory Right to Buy and should this right be exercised in future by a tenant, then the council will be obliged to recycle any grant paid or any surplus Right to Buy receipts to provide alternative affordable housing in the borough.”

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