Residents feel 'let down' in troubled road

Baguley Crescent has long been blighted by fly-tipping, a condemned building and anti-social behaviour.

I have been reporting on life on this small Greater Manchester estate - located just off the M60 between Prestwich and Middleton - for years.

But what I saw when speaking to some social housing tenants about a recent fire - in which a man in his 60s died - really shocked me.

Residents here feel forgotten by the very authorities that are supposed to look out for them.

Local MPs have claimed that police officers - fearing for their own safety - have been too afraid to patrol the road.

And, despite years of complaints, they say the area has seen little improvement.

Patrick Connelly, an 80-year-old who lives in the apartment block where the fire took place, showed me round his flat.

"Almost 10 years ago I told my social landlord that my cooker didn't work and there was no response, so my daughter bought me an air-fryer... but it means I can't have my grandchildren round for a Sunday lunch."

Patrick, who has lived on Baguley Crescent for 17 years, added: "I've asked to move several times because of the anti-social behaviour on this road but the housing association keeps letting me down - all they've done is paint the walls a few years ago."

The social landlord Great Places Housing said: "Customers are responsible for providing their own appliances but we may be able to offer assistance to replace a broken cooker via our tenancy sustainment and support services.

"Upgrade works to the kitchen and bathroom were carried out in 2022/23 and a survey last year by an independent surveyor found both to be in good condition."

Greater Manchester Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of 67-year-old David Mills in the fire in his Baguley Crescent flat on 7 November.

The fire service is still investigating the cause.

Patrick, who moved to the UK in 1966 from Ireland, said: "I've known Dave for 17 years and when the fire alarm went off, we saw the smoke coming from his flat but we couldn't get inside the door and it was too late.

"Meanwhile, the water from the firefighters came through the ceiling and left my bed with a soaking mattress."

Great Places said: "We were deeply sorry to hear that the customer involved in this tragic fire lost his life and where there was damage to other properties as a result of the fire, repairs have been arranged."

The Great Places Housing Group owns or manages more than 28,000 affordable homes in more than 30 local authority areas across north-western England and South Yorkshire.

Another tenant of Great Places, who lives in the same apartment block on Baguley Crescent, told me he had been living alone in his one-bedroom flat without a washing machine.

David Gilifillian, 50, said: "A washing machine is one of the basics you need to get your clothes clean but I have to go to the launderette and that's expensive.

"I'd like to move to a bigger flat because my girlfriend and my 11-year-old son often stay with me but there's no room for them both, so it's uncomfortable."

Great Places said: "David's housing priority is set by the local authority and we will visit his home and identify possible solutions to the issue over his washing machine."

I have spoken many times with residents on Baguley Crescent, including long-term owner-occupiers, who have witnessed the decline of the road over the last 10 years.

They blame many of the area's problems on the large number of privately rented flats, which have a high turnover of tenants who have either recently arrived in the UK or have struggled to find accommodation elsewhere.

When a new tenant moves into one of the flats, furniture is often dumped outside.

Things did seem to improve in the summer, when a multi-agency "day of action" took place involving local people, the police, the fire service and Bury Council.

A burnt-out caravan was cleared, an abandoned car was removed and tonnes of fly-tipped waste was cleaned-up.

But when I visited the road last week, I saw more abandoned mattresses, refrigerators and sofas dumped by the side of the road.

Much of the furniture was left next to an abandoned block of flats, beside empty land where - until recently - there were dozens of unsafe, derelict garages.

Three years ago, a large blaze led to a block of flats being abandoned and there was a fatal fire in a different apartment block in May 2025.

For a long time, the abandoned block became a magnet for drug dealers and squatters - although recent attempts have been made to secure the building.

Despite that, windows in the block remain smashed, the roof is damaged, each of the flats have been vandalised and the electricity supply has been disconnected.

A spokesman for Bury Council said: "We are continuing to tackle fly-tipping in the area and there are live cameras linked directly to the council's CCTV control room.

"We also empty general waste bins more frequently than is available to most households across the borough - in recognition of the challenges experienced in the area - and we regularly remove fly-tipped waste".