The Manchester suburb where 'it feels like it's just on the brink and... could go one way or the other'
Densely populated with students, Fallowfield is often described as 'transient' these days. But life in the south Manchester suburb wasn't always this way.
The town hall's own licensing chief said it feels like 'open season' in Fallowfield after one takeaway applied to extend its opening hours to 3am after similar requests were rejected. But because the policy lapsed, it could not be stopped this time. Police say anti-social behaviour in the area has fallen recently. But residents have spoken of people urinating and defecating in their gardens while others say street drinkers and drug takers make the neighbourhood 'intimidating'.
Next week alone, planning applications for three schemes accommodating more than 1,700 students in and around the city centre are set to be approved. And the council is expecting more student housing of this sort to be built soon. "Pretty much everyone you know will live here," he says. "There's lots of stuff built around students – there's bars, a club and easy bus links to the city."
Students are advised of 'a broad set of expected behaviours' through door knocking, leafleting and social media channels to manage and remove their waste with the council working closely with the universities and Manchester Student Homes particularly around move out periods, the town hall says.
"I think there's been a bit of a mental shift in the attitude, she said. "At one point it was party central, but I think it was a bit of a fad. It's died down a lot." 'Open season' For years, local residents' groups have been attending town hall hearings to object to late night licences, telling councillors of the impact an increase in the availability of alcohol and the number of takeaways opening later will have on their lives. But in recent months, their arguments have carried less weight.
The following week, when a Dixy Chicken takeaway in Wilmslow Road applied to extend its hours, the residents groups did not even turn up to the hearing. Speaking afterwards, Kattie Kincaid said the South East Fallowfield Residents Group which she represents feels 'let down' by the council, which 'failed' to review the policy that previously prevented these licences before it expired.
It was the council's aim for this to be in place to coincide with the lapsing of the previous policy, the spokesperson said, but due to 'complications' it has taken longer than anticipated to come into effect. It comes after concerns about litter generated from takeaways were raised. But businesses in the area say they are doing their bit to keep the area clean.
She said: "I brought a family up in Fallowfield. My kids now say 'don't walk down that road, mum, because there's always someone off their head'. We feel unsafe walking in the streets in the daytime because of these groups of people drinking alcohol." She added: "We are not wimps – we put up with a lot."
And she worries when her 31-year-old twin sons are out late. "I'm scared," she said. "I'm scared about them being stopped by some bad guys in the street." Earlier this year, the force revealed plans for an additional 264 neighbourhood police officers as part of an overhaul of neighbourhood policing. This means more officers are tackling violent crime, drugs, anti-social behaviour, burglary and vehicle crime – those that matter the most to communities, GMP says.
The Ram's Lodge, which is located behind Wilmslow Road, has been housing vulnerable homeless people since the pandemic, as part of the 'Everyone In' scheme.. The hotel has been used as emergency accommodation since 2016. Rooms here are sourced on a 'spot purchase' basis by Manchester council alongside other local authorities and organisations which use it for this purpose too.
In addition to the emergency homeless accommodation at the Fallowfield Lodge and the supported temporary accommodation at the Ram's Lodge, there are also two hotels within the area which are currently being used by Serco to accommodate asylum seekers on behalf of the Home Office. These recent changes have created a perception among some local residents that the council is actively making the population of the area more transient.
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