25 Aug 2025
The future of Telford Court is set to be rubber-stamped by councillors next week.
Following a competitive process to dispose of the tower block for redevelopment, council officers have determined that Hightown Housing Association should be appointed as the preferred bidder.
A report to next week’s meeting of SADC’s Telford Court Working Group by strategic housing manager David Reavill said: “Officers consider [Hightown’s] aspiration for the site aligns more closely with the council’s strategic goals and priorities… to improve social housing provision. The council wants to see as many new homes as possible provided for social rent.”
It is anticipated that the tower block will be fully vacant by the end of September, and it will then be secured and made safe for insurance purposes.
There are two maisonettes on the wider Telford Court site that the council still needs to buy back, and seven bedsits and maisonettes in use as temporary accommodation.
Officers ruled out SADC redeveloping the site itself due to a lack of funds and strategic expertise to deliver such a large-scale development. The site will not be left vacant as that would prove expensive to maintain and would also result in a net loss of 80 social housing properties.
If the site was sold to a private developer it would not be possible to deliver a similar number of social rental properties elsewhere in the district.
Hightown Housing Association has promised to engage with local residents throughout the demolition, design and build process.
