Community leaders in one of the city’s most deprived neighbourhoods say they are Manchester’s ‘forgotten estate’.
Residents and councillors in Openshaw West say they are sick of losing out on important funding which could transform their homes.
The estate – which takes in more than 300 homes and stretches from the Ashton Canal down to Alan Turing Way – is on the doorstep of Manchester City’s massive Etihad campus.
But residents say they have become the forgotten neighbours, and the nearby development just highlights how shabby their estate has become.
Openshaw West residents: Please help fix our broken estate
The area has been earmarked for substantial redevelopment since the mid-1990s.
But despite multi-million pound investments in other areas of the city, residents say their area is yet to receive a penny.
In 2008, a massive plan to pull down around 300 homes in the area and rebuild them fell through when developers pulled out of the deal.
A back-up plan, proposed by regeneration experts New East Manchester, would have seen £8.8m of improvements to the houses instead.
But council bosses rejected the deal – citing budget cuts as the reason.
Manchester City were given the green light last month to build their world-beating training and academy near the site.
And in nearby Higher Openshaw, a £40m redevelopment has been launched, with a new supermarket and some home improvements.
But councillors and residents are demanding the council review the progress of Openshaw West.
Councillor John Longsden, who has lived in the area all his life, said: "Openshaw West has to be a priority for the council.
"We have seen all the plans go by the wayside.
"The residents are starting to wonder why – we have massive investment in the Etihad campus next door and in the Higher Openshaw area.
"But the people who live here desperately need improvements."
The council says its ambition is to regenerate the whole of east Manchester.
Deputy council leader Coun Jim Battle said: "A great deal has been achieved in reversing the area’s decline and giving it a platform to a positive future.
"But we have always been clear that this is a long-term project and without support through government funding – and with the current economic climate making it difficult for people to obtain mortgages to move into new homes – completing this process will inevitably take longer than originally anticipated.
"Despite the difficulties we face, difficulties shared by regeneration areas across the country, east Manchester continues to be one of the nation’s leading regeneration areas and we remain committed to the ongoing transformation of the area."
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
There's a reason why it's been forgotten...............but I can't remember what it is.
Oh no not again. More concrete. Knock it all down, build a big Park & Ride for Manchester and move the residents to Hattersley or Gamesley. It's worked before!
With the right investment, this could again be a smart place to live in inner Manchester. Areas like this support the 'broken window' theory of urban decay.......once one property falls into disrepair, others follow, leading eventually the the situation we now see in East Openshaw today.
Lived in Higher Openshaw for over twenty years and have never heard of Openshaw west! or East Openshaw! This is Higher Openshaw or just Openshaw not some hippy dippy regeneration name that some newby's want to call it cos its not posh enough to tell their friends their address where they really live.LEAVE US ALONE.
The Ethiad stadium is in Beswick isn't it ? Or is that Asda central or Clayon North?
No, it's New Mayfair ;-)
All the investment has gone into Beswick! Etihad Stadium---BMX Centre---National Squash Centre---National Cycling Centre---Metrolink Station---Ashbury Primary School---East Manchester Accademy---UK largest ASDA---Swimming baths and leisure centre---Football & Tennis Centre---Athlectic Centre---Luxury houses and appartments---State of the art Beswick library---Cornerstone Medical Centre---Fiveoaks Surgery and Pharmacy--- Better maintained park--etc etc etc......Oh but it looks like you have to have a few quid if you want to live there Your average two bed terraced is over £100,000!!!
Councillor Battle should come and live in Openshaw West it's the pits and all thanks to the Council who's he trying to kid when he says the area as a firm foundation for the future. I've lived in the area for over sixty years and it's never been as bad unfortunately not all of us can live in other areas of Openshaw such as Delemere Park Residents area we have to live among the desolation of Openshaw West. We have had everything dumped upon us until now it's impossible to sell your house or move.
Councillor Longsden is the only one speaking any sense and he lives on Openshaw Village. For a number of years I have been saying there should be a sign on Openshaw bridge ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. because it certainly not a level playing field for everybody, maybe if we called it a gay village we would get everything we wanted.
Disgusted resident of the Ghetto
Quite true there never was an area called Openshaw west, Openshaw was split into three areas Lower Openshaw, Openshaw and Higher Openshaw allof them bordered Ashton Old Road. Mind you we never had a Green Quarter, CardroomEstate a Gay Village or now a Medieval Quarter. Oh what fools have been elected to this Council heaven preserve us al from the Clowns.