The Stockport estate where people face ‘serious problems every day’
For a Stockport mum, a simple walk to the shop has become a terrifying ordeal.
Jayne Warner brought home her newborn son three weeks ago, but she never imagined the fear she would feel in her own flat.
She lives in an 11th floor property in Pendlebury Tower on the Lancashire Hill estate, which is managed by Stockport Homes, with her children aged nine, six, two, and ten weeks.
Her 10-week son was born with "complex" medical needs, including a cleft palate, and has a tube in his nose to help with breathing.
But in the family's apartment building, Jayne says the lifts keep breaking down, leaving her constantly on edge.
The 32-year-old mum is worried that they could end up trapped inside a broken lift, or struggle to get help in their flat in an emergency if the lifts don't work.
It has left her frightened to leave the house in fear of what could happen.
"It's scaring the life out of me," she said. "He came home three weeks ago, if something happens, how is anyone going to save him?
"It's not safe for us here now. I'm scared of going out some days in case I can't get back in my flat, or if the lift breaks and we get stuck."
She says the lifts are breaking "weekly or sometimes daily" in the tower block, and that the issue has been going on for some time.
Stockport Homes said it is doing everything it can to help Jayne and her family move to a more suitable home as quickly as possible.
"Her application has been properly assessed, and we're in active contact to explore every available option for her circumstance – including mutual exchange," a Stockport Homes spokesperson said.
"Sadly, this isn't a challenge unique to Stockport. Across the country, demand for accessible and family-sized social housing far outstrips supply – especially for households with more complex needs."
Jayne says she's been given a medical assessment for her son "in four to six weeks", which can help with getting a move to another home.
But the situation has left her with a bitter taste, with the mum saying that Stockport Homes "don't care" about her needs.
Jayne's situation is not the only problem experienced by Stockport Homes tenants.
The social housing provider is the biggest landlord in the borough, managing more than 12,000 homes for Stockport council, private landlords, and its own stock.
In March, residents in a 15-storey tower block managed by Stockport Homes in Edgeley said they felt like "prisoners" when both lifts were broken at the same time, taking weeks to repair.
The issues in the Hollywood Towers building on Hardman Street left some people having to tackle several flights of stairs each time they left the building.
It happened at the same time as letters were sent to residents telling them of a new 77p weekly lift maintenance charge from April 7.
Stockport Homes said its teams were active at Hollywood Towers to check if residents needed any extra help while the lifts were being fixed.
It had staff based at the block seven days a week to assist anyone struggling to access their home with care packages, including collecting prescriptions, help with travel, supporting parcel delivery and carrying heavy items, help which it said was "well received by residents".
A spokesperson said at the time: "Within two days, 64 residents had been personally engaged. In addition, regular updates have been shared via text messages, emails, and the digital notice board.
"We know this has been a really challenging time, and we appreciate residents' patience and understanding."
The lifts were repaired after what was said to be delays sourcing spare parts, but the problems faced by tenants in Stockport Homes properties has left some councillors demanding urgent improvement.
'Serious problems'
James Frizzell can often be found out and about on the Lancashire Hill estate speaking to residents and housing officers.
The Reddish South councillor knows the patch well, but has major concerns about the welfare of people living there.
The blocks were first built in the 1960s, and some feel the estate is in need of huge investment.
Cllr Frizzell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that residents in Lancashire Hill are facing "serious problems" every day.
"As councillors, we have received increasing reports of cockroach and rodent infestation across the estate, as well as ongoing problems with the heating system and unreliable lifts," he said.
"Stockport Homes has been addressing these issues as they arise, but the reality is that the fabric of the buildings is old and near the end of its useful life. Repairs and patching up can only go so far."
Stockport Homes said it is stepping up wider prevention work with residents to help reduce the risk of rodent infestation reoccurring, including monitoring and maintenance activity, as well as advice and support for residents to help keep homes pest-free.
Stockport Homes and the council's pest control service said that pest-related issues are not widespread, adding: "we want to reassure residents that we're on top of this – with both responsive action where needed and proactive work to protect everyone's living conditions."
Concerns about Stockport Homes have also been made public by Stockport Labour, the biggest opposition group in the council chamber.
Last year, the Labour group called for an independent review of the social housing model in Stockport.
Stockport Homes manages the council's housing stock, but operates independently as an arms length management organisation (ALMO).
The review was called to judge whether the model was still the right one for Stockport.
Former Stockport Labour group leader, Cllr David Meller, said in a meeting in February 2024 that the council was giving Stockport Homes £35m a year, but warned that the council needed "to be certain as we can that we won't have a tragedy like Awaab Ishak on our doorsteps."
Stockport Labour's new leader, Cllr Christine Carrigan, has also raised concerns about Stockport Homes.
She told the LDRS that "no family should be living with constant fear about their safety in their own home" – in reference to Jayne Warner's situation – and made calls for "greater accountability and transparency" from Stockport Homes.
The review into social housing was carried out by Deloitte and found that Stockport Homes is a 'high performing' organisation, with a suggestion of keeping the existing model of operation as an arm's length management organisation (ALMO).
It was good news for the social housing landlord and its staff, who say they are working under major pressure to cope with the national housing crisis.
But the review highlighted a perceived culture of 'defensiveness' and a 'lack of accountability' at Stockport Homes when dealing with concerns raised by councillors.
It also revealed a 'lack of timely communication during repairs and complaints' which has created 'significant anxiety and uncertainty for tenants' and contributed to 'eroding trust.'
Cllr Carrigan said she has been left feeling frustrated with the lack of progress by Stockport Homes since then.
She added: "We secured the independent review into them, but since its conclusion, we've seen little change.
"Residents have been telling us that improvements on the ground are far too slow, or simply not happening."
She urged the Lib Dem leadership at the council to "take meaningful action now" to turn things around.
Cllr Frizzell also urged Stockport Homes to bring about improvements, especially in Lancashire Hill.
He added: "Part of the recent review into the way the council manages its social housing suggests priority is given to those areas where residents are suffering the most hardship.
"We will be pressing Stockport Homes and the council to prioritise Lancashire Hill, to bring meaningful improvements as quickly as possible.
"We cannot and should not leave Lancashire Hill behind while, a short walk away, the town centre benefits from regeneration on a massive scale."
'Breaking point'
For its part, Stockport Homes is well aware of the concerns, which have been raised a number of times in council meetings and directly by elected members.
But the organisation said it too is struggling to manage the huge demand for housing, where there are more than 6,000 people in Stockport on the housing register, with some facing a wait of up to 12 years.
A spokesperson said: "We're working within a national system that's stretched to breaking point, but that doesn't mean we're standing still.
"We're reviewing all properties that become available, offering personalised advice, and pushing hard to increase the supply of genuinely affordable, accessible homes in Stockport."
Helen McHale, chief executive of Stockport Homes, told the LDRS last year that the social housing landlord is doing everything it possibly can to help residents and manage the huge housing pressures.
She revealed the scale of the problem facing the borough – with around 200 applications for each property advertised.
"I'd hate for anyone to think that we didn't care, it's really important to us," she added.
Stockport council is led by the Lib Dems under a minority administration.
Cllr Jake Austin, the council's cabinet member for housing and environment, said work is taking place to tackle the issues raised.
"We are aware of concerns raised at Lancashire Hill and are working with Stockport Homes, residents and councillors of all parties to address them as a priority," he said.
"Stockport, like all councils, faces significant challenges in its housing stock – which is why we continue to press the Labour government for the desperately needed funding that will give us a long-term solution.
"There are no quick fixes to addressing the issues with our aging properties, but we are committed to doing everything we can to improve the situation for our residents.
"We firmly believe that every Stockport resident has a right to feel safe in their own home, and we will continue to work constructively across the council to make this happen."
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