Flat Issued Closure Order After Reports Of Antisocial Behaviour

A flat in Chadderton has been locked down after a ‘nightmare neighbour’ caused ‘years’ of misery for those living nearby.

Oldham council and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a closure order on an apartment on Middleton Road after repeated reports of antisocial behaviour and noise.

The housing provider, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) also found the electricity meter in the property had been tapped into, causing a major fire risk to the resident and his neighbours.

Despite multiple warnings, Oldham Council says an occupant continued to ‘cause terror’ in the block, with local authorities ultimately locking down the flat on March 20.

The closure order prevents anyone from entering the property for a three-month period, to ‘provide much-needed respite to the local community’, according to a council spokesperson.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “He was a nightmare. I sleep in my sitting room because of [them], because there was so much noise.

“A lot of people used to come by – I think they were dangerous people – and they’d bang on the windows, often at two or 3.30 in the morning.”
The neighbour showed the LDRS several photos of litter in the block’s corridors and bin areas, including a discarded kitchen knife lying at the end of a hallway.

The neighbour, who’s been living in the block for several years, said he was ‘happy’ about the closure order after ‘complaining for years’.
Another neighbour added, “It has been a terrible place to live. We have been fighting for this for a long time, and the resident has caused terror in this block of flats.”

Councillor Peter Dean, Oldham’s cabinet member for Thriving Communities and Culture, said: “Oldham Council and our partners will not allow residents to have their lives ruined by the irresponsible and criminal behaviour of a small minority.

“I’m sure the action we’ve taken will be welcomed by the community and I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in bringing this issue to a successful end.”

Coun Dean noted residents experiencing similar behaviour can report it to GMP and the council’s Community Safety Service. Those in social housing can also report it to their providers.

Peter Davidson from FCHO added: “No one has the right to make others’ lives a misery, and this latest action shows they will not get away with it.”