How life has changed on a notorious, crime-ridden estate shut off to outsiders

Not too long ago, it was a notorious, crime-ridden estate shut off to outsiders. Now, police and neighbours say, it’s changed.

In the Freehold area of Rochdale, people were scared to leave their homes after dark. Plagued by drug-dealing, anti-social behaviour and other criminal activity, residents were terrified. Police were forced to take drastic action.

In November last year, officers stepped in and took an extreme measure, shutting down the estate to outsiders. A closure order imposed on 19 blocks of flats banned outsiders from gathering or loitering anywhere around the 19 blocks of flats for three months.

The measure was intended to stop criminals going onto the estate and dealers ‘doing their business in stairwells’. Those who ignored the new rules faced arrest.
 

Read more: A month ago outsiders were banned from this estate… now tenants are feeling safer alreadyPublished: 17 December 2024

The closure order, Greater Manchester Police have announced, has been lifted. Freehold residents say life is getting better.

David Sutcliffe, walking his dog Penny, spoke to the LDRS after the news was made public by GMP. Having lived on the estate for seven months, he said he had to fend off yobs himself when things were at their worst.

 

 

“The closure order has done good,” the 69-year-old added. “People were standing in the stairwells. Now there are fewer people hanging about. The police presence is really good for the area. If that stays, that would be great.”

Walking past, Franchesca Hurn, 32, chips in. She grew up on the estate, but moved out years ago. Standing beside her parents’ French bulldog Patch, she said the area lost its sense of community long ago.

“You don’t tend to stay here… you tend to move on,” she said. “I grew up here, but I moved away for a better life for my daughter. This closure order should have happened years ago. All the kids used to play out together when I was young, but they don’t any more.

“Everyone seems to be just for themselves. That community feeling has been lost, there used to be a park here, but they don’t have that anymore. There is no community here now. All the people I knew here have all moved on.”

Following a surge in crime, GMP launched Operation Affect, shutting down drug hangouts and arresting dozens of suspects. Inspector Meena Yasin said: “This operation has very much been community-focused and is the product of hours of interaction with local residents and partners, and represents what they want from their police force.

“Throughout this operation we have spoken to residents who have been unable to sleep at night, who were scared to carry out everyday activities within their own homes as a result of anti-social behaviour and the criminal activity of a small number of individuals exploiting the neighbourhood.

“I’m proud we could make this commitment to the community and my team and I look forward to future investment and improvements in the area.”

 

 

Patrols in the area will remain as Freehold’s recovery continues. Ross Wood, sat with partner Codie Beabis, said: “We live next to the stairwell which was one of the worst for all the drug dealing.

“You heard them screaming at night. But the majority of people here say things are better now. Troublemakers know now that if things go back to how things were, the police will just enforce this again.

“The druggies would ask for a cigarette and if you said ‘no’, there would be an altercation. You used to see kids going up and down the street playing out, but not too much anymore. We hope, for our kid, things will be like that again soon.”

Codie added: “You don’t get as much nonsense as you used to, but it’s a lot quieter now. You still get the odd couple of people causing trouble, but you would get that everywhere. This closure order has been a real benefit to the community.

“The drug dealing was making people wary of coming out at night time. When I was pregnant I didn’t feel safe coming out. The druggies would give you grief for no reason. There was a flat around the corner where police used to turn up all the time banging on the door.

“Since they got evicted there has been less trouble. Since everyone has knuckled down and started sorting this out, things got a lot better.”

Appearing from the Lydford block, another young couple setting off for a walk have their say. “It’s nice in some areas here, but there are always a few blips,” one told the LDRS.

“There were groups of drug dealers on the stairwells and they had set fires there before. They had to evacuate all the landings a few months ago. We moved to the other side of Freehold for a bigger place. I think it’s fine around here.

“People say that Freehold is rough, but it’s not. You get people here who’ve had a rough upbringing and a tough life. I don’t think it’s gotten much better, but it wasn’t bad before. The closure order has made a difference with stopping people gathering on the steps.”

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), which manages the estate’s housing, has a programme of community activities planned to restore that lost sense of community. Upcoming events include DJ workshops, a hair masterclass and winter community gatherings.

Design work continues for RBH’s investment plans, which would improve security and access to homes, create better refuse and recycling facilities, and improve the visual appearance of the area.

Hayley Stockham, RBH director of neighbourhood services, said: “We have a zero tolerance approach to crime and anti-social behaviour, and I’m really proud of the work our team have done in Freehold alongside our partners in Greater Manchester Police.

“We have always said that we will only know we are making a difference when our customers tell us, and we know from talking to Freehold residents that this partnership work has already made a huge difference.

“We also know that this is just the first step – we will continue to work with the community here to make sure that Freehold is a place where everyone is proud to live and work.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter