The first tenants moved into Rochdale's Freehold estate in 1971
A Greater Manchester estate has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the last few years. From the tragic death of a young boy to issues with antisocial behaviour, the Freehold Estate has attracted media attention for a range of problems.
Plans to build on the Freehold site were mooted in the mid-1950s, with Rochdale Council starting Compulsory Purchase Orders on houses in the area. Many of these dwellings on Spring Street, Ruby Street, Stephen Street, Allotment Street, Franchise Street, Mills Street, Trafford Street and Harris Street were around 100 years old and in poor condition. Along with the streets themselves, the houses would eventually be demolished to make way for the flats.
Fear of intimidation and issues with damp And like several other estates that emerged in the late 1960s and early '70s, such as Hulme Crescents and Fort Ardwick , problems with their design and construction became apparent from the start. Another complaint was when it rained, the widows of their flats became stained by 'concrete water' running down them, making them difficult to clean. Modifications to the flats' original flat roofs with pitched roofs were made in the early 1990s.
Near the turn of the 21st Century, official statistics reported in the Rochdale Observer gave a damning verdict on the state of both the Lower Falinge and Freehold estates. In 1999, the newspaper reported that crime statistics for both estates showed they were responsible for 15% of crimes committed in the borough.
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