Neighbour is making my life in tower a real misery
Resident says he’s suffered from anti-social behaviour ever since he moves in four years ago
A MAN living in an tower block says he has nowhere to turn to after dealing with a nightmare neighbour for four years.
The man, who the Manchester Evening News is choosing to keep anonymous over fears for his safety, says his neighbour frequently has loud parties at their flats in Artillery Court in Ardwick, which can last for up to 48 hours.
Guests at these gatherings can sometimes be seen sleeping in his hallway the morning after.
In one incident, the man adds, ravers took his and other residents’ doormat to fashion makeshift pillows for sleeping in the corridors.
There have also been reports of those guests urinating in the communal waste disposal area of the building.
“This problem started from the first day I moved in October 2018,” the man explained. “I was offered this flat by S4B Housing. I viewed the flat, everything was okay.
“My mistake was that I should have not moved completely until I saw the next door. I bought new furniture and carpets. After two weeks, the first night I got a problem. I started to find out about the flats and what happened.
“It started next door. He always has parties or has people around or sells drugs. All these people came to him. After they finish the party they sleep in the corridor. They take drugs somewhere. It’s all related to next door.”
With the issue being a long-term problem, the man has reported the anti-social behaviour to both the housing agency for his building – S4B Housing – and the police. However,
he says neither of them are taking ownership of the issue.
That’s despite S4B taking out a noise injunction against the neighbour, which the resident says is not enforced. He continued: “The housing company know. I have reported it to the police many times. I emailed pictures, I reported it by email, and by calling.
“The police are doing nothing and housing is very slow. In July 2021, we went to court and this guy got an injunction. Nothing happened.”
Now, after the M.E.N. began to probe the problem, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed it is ‘investigating’ the flat. Likewise, a spokesperson for S4B Housing said they ‘are taking action.’
A statement from the agency said: “We take anti-social behaviour very seriously and work closely with local partners to tackle this behaviour when it occurs. S4B is working with Greater Manchester Police to resolve issues at Artillery Court and an action plan is in place to address anti-social behaviour, which has seen significant upgrades to the security of the block.
“We are also aware of drug use in some communal spaces and are taking action to resolve this.
“In this case, S4B secured an injunction against the perpetrator and took joint action with Manchester City Council’s Abatement Team to remove items from the property that were causing excessive noise.
“After the injunction expired last year, further noise nuisance reports were received and we are taking action to address this, including a warning that if there is further noise then S4B will pursue legal action.
“We appreciate that this is a distressing situation for the resident and would like to reassure them that we are taking action to find an appropriate solution that addresses their concerns.”