Demand for new housing shows little sign of slowing as Greater Manchester continues to grow. Sale’s Racecourse Estate is one place where new, affordable homes are being built and money is being poured in - but not everyone is happy with the changes.
The Trafford estate - officially known as Sale West - is the target of a £7.2 million regeneration project by Irwell Valley Homes, currently in its first phase. Hundreds of tenants can expect new kitchens, boilers, roofs, painting and fencing - and so far, 17 new homes have been built.
The area was once known as one of Greater Manchester’s most notorious estates, but has been transformed by waves of investment, with residents speaking of their pride in the area to the Manchester Evening News .
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Still, some feel “sidelined”. Residents complain that while money is being put into building new homes, and tenants' properties are being upgraded in phases, communal areas are neglected, roads and pavements are in disrepair and maintenance calls are not being responded to.
Approached by the M.E.N, Irwell Valley apologised and admitted that 'ground maintenance hasn’t been up to scratch' in recent months but said they were working with their contractor, who had had 'staffing issues,' on an 'improvement plan'. Trafford Council, who are responsible for road maintenance, have been approached for comment.
But for mother-of-three Michelle Richardson, the contrast of the new homes with the poorly maintained roads and pavements has left her feeling 'neglected'. She described falling over one night while walking home, tripping over fly-tipped rubbish.
“We are a fantastic community. This is my home, and I love it,” Michelle Richardson, who has lived on the estate all her life, told the M.E.N.
“But it feels that they [Irwell Valley] have neglected the people that have been here for years. We feel like we’re being sidelined for this new project.”
Michelle lives a stone's throw from several of the 17 new homes that have been built. Irwell Valley say that nearly half of the allocations for new houses have gone to residents from the estate who needed more suitable accommodation - but Michelle said she doesn’t feel the existing community is being prioritised.
“Even their houses tower over ours,” she said. “It feels like Irwell Valley are just letting down everybody who has made this a community.”
Rebecca Bates, however, is just one long-term resident who is happy with Irwell Valley. She has just moved from a one-bedroomed apartment on the estate to a two-bedroomed house with a garden - which she says is ‘life-changing’ for her and her two young daughters.
“They are so excited to get their own bedroom, and they absolutely love being outdoors, so the garden is great – we’re really looking forward to a summer spent playing outside,” she said.
“Knowing I can just open the doors and they can be safe outside in their own space means the world to me. The last two years have been tough with Covid and being at home a lot. This is the new start we’ve all been looking forward to.”
But while residents like Rebecca enjoy their gardens, others worry about the state of communal spaces. Michelle said: "(The estate) is a mess. People feel like they can't let their kids play out here."
It’s a sentiment echoed by older residents, too. Barry Comar, 71, moved onto the estate in 1975, and owned his house alongside his late wife Jean. He has suffered a number of health and mobility issues in recent years - he suffered 17 heart attacks in one night in 2007 - rendering him practically housebound.
On doctor’s orders, he recently managed a short walk around the estate with his son-in-law. He described what he saw as “shocking”.
“I was disgusted with the state of what I saw on just a short walk,” he told the M.E.N. “I know I need more exercise, but it’s such that I don’t particularly want to go out.”
“Nobody seems to be maintaining the community areas. Now they’re actually a no go for the locals. Kids aren’t able to go out and play the same way.”
He told the M.E.N he had made a complaint about bamboo growing in a communal area, which he says is pushing up paving slabs on his driveway. Irwell Valley told us that they would be in touch with Barry to conduct a site visit.
In a statement Irwell Valley Chief Executive, Sasha Deepwell said: “By working with the people in the communities we serve, we can improve homes and enable people to live well in their home and community.
"In Sale West there is a strong sense of community and a desire among residents to improve their neighbourhood. We support this and are pleased to be underway with our multi-million-pound regeneration programme which has been developed with residents. This will transform the estate over the next seven years, realising our customers’ aspirations and driving forward the changes they want to see.
"We own and manage more than 1,000 homes on the estate, and we’re investing £7 million transforming these homes by installing new kitchens, boilers, roofs, painting and fencing.
"Plus, carrying out improvements to the wider estate with new play areas, improved parking bays and quality open spaces and landscaping.
"We are making good progress, with more than 500 new roofs installed and our kitchen replacement programme underway. The new central park is open, and we’ve resurfaced and reconfigured the car parks. We’re currently investigating issues with surface water and flooding in some walkways and ginnels too.
"By building new homes, we’re giving local people access to a home they can afford within their community. So far, we have completed 17 new homes which have been let to local people, with nearly half of the allocations going to residents from the estate who needed more suitable accommodation."
She added: "Earlier this year Trafford Council secured £975,000 from The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to support the regeneration work.
"Working with the Local Authority, the funding will help us to deliver the wider estate enhancements. Specifically, it will be used to deliver six new play areas and a nature trail through Sale West; increase the number of trees; plant wildflowers; and provide homes for birds, bats and hedgehogs to increase the biodiversity of the estate and improve residents’ wellbeing.
"We understand a community is about much more than the homes there. That’s why our £2m charitable fund – the Irwell Valley Foundation – is supporting this work, enabling people to live well and providing opportunities for local people to get on in life. From serving up free kids’ meals throughout the summer holidays at our community café, to providing apprenticeship for residents - we are making a difference.
"From the start we have listened to residents to understand their aspirations for their neighbourhood, and we continue to involve them. Last month we hosted two community events and have teams who are based in the community. Whilst residents have shaped, and can see the overall vision, we understand there is disruption for them whilst work is underway and appreciate their patience.
"We also recognise the works are extensive and take time and it may be frustrating waiting for the plans to be realised. We know that over the past few months, the grounds maintenance service hasn’t been up to scratch, and we are sorry about this. Our contractor has experienced staffing issues, and we are working with them to deliver an improvement plan which is now underway.
"We have also taken over maintenance of 16 areas of land from Trafford Council which will help to improve the consistency in grounds maintenance across the estate going forward.
“Sadly, litter and fly tipping continues to be an ongoing issue on the estate. Whilst we don’t have a statutory duty to clear this, as a responsible housing provider we do this for resident’s wellbeing. Since January we have cleared over 60 reports of fly tipping, have organised community clean up days, and have a team on the estate each week who help to limit the litter by skimming any bins which are full ahead of the council’s collection.”
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