Winter sleeper pods are to be opened up to ‘entrenched street homeless’ who need ‘a first stepping stone back into accommodation’

20:21, 07 Nov 2025Updated 20:21, 07 Nov 2025

10 sleeping pods are set to be installed (Pic: Bolton council planning portal)

Pods providing emergency winter housing for ‘entrenched’ rough sleepers are to be installed on a car park in Bolton town centre.

A pilot scheme over the next six months will see the accommodation placed on the corner of Topp Way and Higher Bridge Street.

The 11 pods are described as ‘severe weather exposure provision for adults experiencing rough sleeping’.

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Each cabin has a bed, toilet, shower, key-coded door storage for clothing and desk space.

There will also be a single separate kitchen pod for meal preparation. The initiative, believed to be the first in Greater Manchester, is being led by Bolton council’s housing option rough sleeper team.

At a meeting of the council’s planning committee, Mark Aspin described the rationale behind the scheme.

He said “There will be an array of assessments for each person we will be supporting within a pod and we will know everybody who will be referred in.

“We won’t be looking a individuals who aren’t known to us.

“It’s specifically geared towards working with entrenched rough sleepers, those that have fallen right through the housing market and aren’t able to access accommodation for various different reasons.

“It’s those reasons why we intend to wrap very intensive support around them which will hopefully make them a difference to them. “We believe this scheme will have long term benefits for the town centre, the businesses within and critically the people who need that first stepping stone back into accommodation.”

The site is close to Topp Way in Bolton

Councillors were told that during the six month period there was intended to be ‘short, sharp and intensive’ work with the people residing in the pods.

Mr Aspin, added: “We are not looking at this as long term accommodation for anybody. “We would hope that people are only there for six to 10 weeks.

“We hope to demonstrate to landlords that there is a plan around this individual and we’ve got confidence that their tenancy isn’t going to fail the instant they arrive in your property, give this person a chance.”

He said there will be 24-hour in-person security and CCTV in place at the site, supplemented by frequent attendance by various support services helping the people in short term residence there.

Bolton’s planning committee unanimously approved temporary approval for the pods until the end of March, 2026.

A spokesperson for Bolton council said: “Bolton has a long-standing commitment to ensure nobody has to sleep rough in our borough, and this is especially important as the weather gets colder.

“This scheme helps us maintain that commitment for those furthest from a place they can call home, something everyone deserves.

“With the wrap around support, the council, and partners in the charity and voluntary sector will be providing, we are hopeful we can make a real difference to the small number of people that have no choice but to sleep rough.”

The council said the pods ‘offer a proven solution’ and similar schemes had been successful in neighbouring authorities such as Blackburn with Darwen.

Council officers said they had been out to nearby businesses to explain the scheme and provide reassurance.