Heartbroken elderly residents have accused a social housing company which wants to bulldoze their Bollington homes of 'ripping the heart out of their community'.

Peaks and Plains Housing Trust has applied for permission to bulldoze 44 social-rented bungalows on Crossfield Road and Kent Avenue and replace them with 77 affordable homes, comprising nine bungalows, 35 houses, and 33 apartments.

The application is due to be considered by councillors on Wednesday, September 30, with 11 of the properties still occupied.

Alan Archer, 83, and Pam Blackley, 77, moved into their bungalow last summer.

Pam told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There's nothing wrong with this one. We've only been here 12 months."

She said Peaks and Plains moved them from their previous bungalow on Crossfield Road after seven years because it had damp and mould which hadn't been dealt with.

Initially they were offered accommodation in Poynton.

Pam said: "But we wanted Bollington. We've lived in Bollington all our lives."

So they were moved into the bungalow they're now in on a temporary basis because that also is set to be bulldozed if planning permission is granted, as is the one they've just moved from.

Pam said as their neighbours started to leave Crossfield Road and Kent Avenue, the 'heart of their little community has been ripped out'.

And she said it is constantly playing on her and Alan's minds that they're about to lose the home they love.

"We're thinking, if this is going to happen, where are we going to end up and, at our ages you just think it shouldn't happen really," she said.

Alan added: "When we moved into 12 Crossfield Road, that was going to be our forever home. Now we're going to be shipped out again."

The couple said they had not heard from Peaks and Plains since moving a year ago.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said she had recently returned home from hospital after suffering a stroke.

She believed the pressure of knowing she could soon lose her home was a contributory factor.

Heidi Reid, of The Crossfield Road and Kent Avenue Bungalow Committee, has been campaigning on behalf of residents.

Heidi told the LDRS: "I've been in a few of these properties, and you'd be hard pushed to see why on earth they would be demolishing them."

She insisted not all were in a poor condition, adding one of the residents had paid for their own private survey by a qualified surveyor, and it was 'wildly different' when compared to the one produced by Peaks and Plains, in terms of how much it would cost to repair the property.

Heidi also argued the age and vulnerability of the residents hadn't been taken into account.

"This was a strong community and, further down the line, you suddenly have people that are now going to be isolated because, before, their families lived on the doorstep," she said.

"They knew each other neighbour-wise so there was a lot of support here."

She said it could result in more expense for the council and push up the care bill because it would impact on caring responsibilities if people were moved away from their families and friends.

A spokesperson for Peaks and Plains said: "We made the difficult decision to redevelop the Crossfield and Kent Avenue site in Bollington following extensive surveys.

"The requirement for extensive repair works at the existing properties over five years meant that a proposed redevelopment of the properties as new affordable housing was the best way forward.

"This was for the benefit of the local community as a whole and its residents."

The spokesperson said the company had been working hard with individuals to support them throughout this process during the past two years.

"To ensure every resident received personalised support, we appointed a dedicated officer to manage the relocation programme," she said.

"They have spent time getting to know each resident with visits, phone calls and meetings to find them a new home and explain each step of the process and identify areas where they would feel most comfortable and happiest to live.

"We have already successfully supported 27 residents move into their new homes."

She added: "We understand that this is a significant change for people which is why we've given a much longer timeframe than usual for this kind of consultation.

"This has been to allow residents to make plans and so we can support as many as possible to stay in the local area.

"We offer additional support for residents to help them build a new home.

"We also enhance that by supporting their move, by providing decoration – whether that's carpets or curtains, for example.

"We also provide them alternative accommodation and offer a compensation payment."

The spokesperson said most residents are now happily settled and enjoying their new homes 'and we've had feedback of how supported residents have felt during the move'.

She said: "Our dedicated neighbourhood officer will continue to engage proactively with residents who are yet to move, and we will continue to keep residents and the wider community updated at every stage."

The northern planning committee meeting takes place at Macclesfield Town Hall at 10.30am on Wednesday, September 30.