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Residents say landlord 'slow' to deal with issues

Richard Stead
BBC News, Manchester
BBC Photograph of homes on the Mottram Street estate in Stockport. The housing is a three-storey brown brick building with a balcony running around the second storey which you can access via a ramp. At the front there is a green area with children's play equipment and planters. BBC
Residents said that anti-social behaviour had been a problem on the Mottram Street estate in Stockport

A social landlord has been criticised by tenants for being "too slow" to tackle anti-social behaviour, and for delays to fixing repairs in their homes.

One resident of the Mottram Street estate, in Stockport, said he had a broken bath for four months, while another resident reported anti-social behaviour including drug-taking and drunkenness on the estate.

A independent review into Stockport Homes found the landlord's performance to be very strong generally, but acknowledged there had been complaints from tenants.

The landlord said: "We understand the impact anti-social behaviour (ASB) can have on communities - and our priority is to stop ASB while preventing homelessness".

Photograph of Barry Smith outside his home on the Mottram Street estate in Stockport. Barry has short bleached blond and brown hair, a goatee and a pierced eyebrow, He is wearing a black-hooded top with a houndstooth lining.
Barry Smith, 38, lives on the Mottram Street estate near Stockport town centre

Stockport Homes runs more than 12,000 properties in the town, including the council's housing stock and 22 high-rise blocks in the area.

Barry Smith, who has been a Stockport Homes tenant for two years, said the landlord had been "too slow" to act when his property needed repairs.

"I had to do without a bath for four months because it was taking two days to empty, and repairs to my toilet took two weeks. I had to get a bowl and flush it myself".

Stockport Homes said the repairs had been "carried out within the agreed timescales".

Another tenant, Bernadette Roach, said drugs were "rife" on the estate and homeless people would often sleep in the corridors of the maisonettes - but praised Stockport Homes for putting a stop to it.

"There were homeless people sleeping on the stairs and leaving human waste in carrier bags. Stockport Homes have stopped all that, which is good."

Stockport Homes said: "[We] take a proactive approach to addressing anti-social behaviour through prevention, intervention and, where necessary, enforcement."

Photograph of a home on the Mottram Street estate, which has been closed by the landlord. Windows and doors are covered with green boards and there is a large sign which reads 'closed'. The balcony is metal and partially rusted.
A flat on the Mottram Street estate has been closed by the landlord

In November 2024, Stockport Homes successfully secured a Closure Order on a property at Chesworth Close on the Mottram Street estate.

It followed several reports of drug-related activity, physical violence, the use of weapons and arguments within the flat.

Nicole Hansen, 34, who lives nearby, welcomed the move but complained that it had taken "too long" for Stockport Homes to take action.

"There's been two years-worth of problems in that flat, with people shouting, breaking windows and smacking other people's doors".

"It's taken multiple complaints from all the neighbours to get something done."

Photograph of the children's playground on the Mottram Street estate in Stockport. In the background is social housing owned by Stockport Homes.
Several tenants have described anti-social behaviour on the Mottram Street estate in Stockport

However, one anonymous tenant told BBC Radio Manchester that Stockport Homes had been really good: "They sort out any issues really quickly. On one occasion, they unblocked the plughole in the bath next day. I've never had any problems".

Stockport Homes said: "Regarding the repair concerns, we are committed to resolving issues as quickly as possible.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this process, and appreciate the resident's patience".

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