Andy Burnham: Fly-tipping on Prestwich street 'not acceptable'

BBC News

a day ago

Fly-tipping and drug dealing on a street in Greater Manchester is "not acceptable" and landlords should be taking action, the region's mayor has said. People who live on Baguley Crescent in Prestwich have complained about overflowing bins and waste being dumped next to derelict garages.Francesca Estasy, who has lived on the road since 1993, said she had seen "beds, mattresses and unwanted furniture" being left there, leading to problems with rats.Mayor Andy Burnham said he would ask Greater Manchester Police to follow-up on the criminal activity and criticised poor quality landlords.
In April 2025, Burnham launched a Good Landlord Charter to improve standards in both social and privately rented housing.He told BBC Radio Manchester : "If landlords will not sign up to basic standards, we would then intervene."It's not acceptable for landlords to make money from renting out their properties and then pay little attention to the conditions".
Last year, Bury Council demolished some derelict garages on Baguley Crescent but another block on the opposite side of the road remains in a state of disrepair.Mattresses have been dumped beside the road, along with broken furniture, old carpets, an abandoned car and several overflowing waste bins.A Bury Council spokesman said: "We will clear the fly-tipping and we are waiting to confirm a date when demolition work on the garages can be completed."
Residents said the derelict garages on Baguley Crescent were dangerous.David Hardman, 75, who has lived on the street for 11 years, said: "The rubbish is being dumped all the time and the garages are falling down"."It used to be a lovely place but now I don't know whether I want to carry on living here anymore"
Next to the derelict garages is an abandoned block of 12 flats, which residents have said have become a magnet for drug dealers and squatters.BBC Radio Manchester visited the derelict building. Each of the properties at 80-102 Baguley Crescent had damaged furniture, the building had major structural defects and the electricity supply had been cut off.
The apartment building, which is surrounded by metal fencing, was issued with a prohibition notice by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in 2024.Since then, work has taken place to remedy the structural issues at the building.
David Adams, a landlord who owns four of the abandoned flats, said they "have been vandalised to the point where they need refurbishment".The 76 year-old said: "All the pipework and copper wiring has been ripped out of the building, so the place is a complete mess".
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it "sympathises with the position leaseholders and occupants are in but safety remains the priority"."We are working to ensure the repair work to the building is undertaken to a satisfactory standard, so that residents can return to a safe and secure building," it added.
All 12 apartments at 80-102 Baguley Crescent are privately owned but there is no management company on the block of flats, which was built in the 1960s.Mr Adams said: "It means there has never been a service charge on the building which could be used to pay for communal repairs."Enlightened Investments Ltd, the freeholder for the site, said the communal areas had been "demised to various of the leaseholders and the upkeep of those areas is included within their repairing obligations".
Bury Council said: "A complete internal refurbishment needs to take place at Block 80-102 Baguley Crescent. "This work is likely to take a few months as it will include fire doors, an electricity rewire and new heating systems."
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