All the residents of a tower block in Stretford are set to be moved into alternative accommodation after the housing association responsible for it admitted it is 'undesirable'.

Circle Court was built off Barton Road in the late 1960s and is in need of modernisation, but Trafford Housing Trust (THT) believes there is no sustainable option to do so.

According to an announcement on August 24 by Matt Foreman, director of operations and integration at THT, the idea is for all 176 residents to be moved into alternative accommodation before it disposes of the tower block. The aim is for this to be done within two years.

It reads: "Circle Court is no longer considered a desirable place to live for our existing and prospective customers.

"At THT, our customers will always be our number one priority and we want to be proud of the homes we provide.

"Following a comprehensive review, we believe Circle Court falls short of our expectations."

It adds: "THT came to this decision after assessing and considering a wide range of options.

"It was concluded that none of these options provided best value and the quality of home that we aspire to provide.

"Therefore, the decision was made to proceed with the permanent rehousing of all customers living in Circle Court and to dispose of the block once it is fully empty."

All the residents affected by the action are set to receive a 'Home Loss Payment' of almost £8,000, as well as a 'Disturbance Payment' based on costs from the disconnection and reconnection of appliances and utilities to removals.

A spokesperson for the housing association said: “I can confirm we have taken the difficult decision to rehouse 176 residents from Circle Court and seek a new owner for the building when it becomes vacant. This is part of our drive to focus on providing sustainable homes that customers can be proud of. 

“Our customers will always be our number one priority. We are contacting all residents of Circle Court and have dedicated staff in place to assess and support their ongoing needs.

“Suitable, alternative homes will be found for all customers, with all tenants expected to be settled into new homes within two years. All customers will receive practical and financial support, and every customer will receive priority access to new homes.”

For information and Frequently Asked Questions about the action, go to traffordhousingtrust.co.uk/media-centre/announcements/decision-on-the-future-of-circle-court/.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. Jack is the reporter for The Messenger and covers anything and everything from within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.