‘It’s a death trap. It’s not a home. It’s a shell’

Leeds council flat tenants have spoken of their delight that their homes are going to be demolished, slamming the local authority's "death trap" building which is "falling apart". Ramshead Heights, Seacroft[1], residents have said the decision to destroy the "eyesore" building is "magical" and have been looking ahead to a brighter future. It comes as a six council blocks across the city will be knocked down.

Leeds City Council[2] aims to have all the tenants moved out and homed within three years. Tenants were awarded Band A priority to bid on housing applications from November 1. The council came to the decision to level the flats as part of its commitment to providing "good quality and affordable homes for residents".

The other five council high rises are: Bailey Towers and Brookland Towers in Seacroft; Leafield Towers in Moortown; and Raynville Court and Raynville Grange in Armley. Leeds Live visited Ramshead Heights just as rumours were surfacing the blocks were going to be levelled back in August. Back then, tenants lifted the lid on the harsh realities of their lives[4].

They complained of damp and mould making their children sick, and the nightmares of rats, knackered toilets and dodgy workmanship.

Now, some residents cannot wait to leave and for the high rise to be dismantled from the skyline of Leeds.

'Magical'

Overjoyed by the news, Michelle Sheldrake, 36, who has lived at the flats more than five years, would have cracked open a bottle of Champagne if she'd had it to hand. Michelle said: "It's magical, completely magical that it's going. It's an eyesore, everybody hates it.

It's falling to pieces, literally, and it's been bodged together that many times it's beyond repair. I hate it here. "Don't get me wrong, I love my neighbours.

I have tea and chats with them all the time but we're all very happy to get out of here. We'll still keep in touch and having cups of tea.

With bidding open, Michelle says about half the people in the building want to move as far away from Seacroft as possible, following their harrowing experience at the block with many having their eye on the countryside. The 36-year-old adds while she's pleased to leave, she'll still miss her immediate neighbours and has made assurances they'll be keeping touch on the flat's Whatsapp group.

She'll be aiming to stay around East Leeds to remain close to family.

'Death trap'

Young mum Megan, 22, who lives in her flat with her four-year-old son Oscar, spoke of how she hopes they can find somewhere "safe" to live and emphasised the horrors of living in Ramshead Heights.

Megan said: "It's a death trap. It's not a home. It's a shell.

I'm going to miss certain neighbours, though, definitely. We've got a little community here - but in every place you get your good people and your idiots. "I want to go to somewhere safe, somewhere that isn't falling apart.

I don't care where. Well, I want to stay as close as I can to here as my little boy has just started school here. "My little boy is well excited to leave.

He knows this place is broken. He told us, before we even knew, that this place was falling down. He'd sit out here and tell the neighbours their flat was falling down, he must have seen the building leaning to one side.

He knew and he's only just turned four."

'Freezing'

Grandmother-of-16 and mother-of-ten Carol Tipple, 59, says she wants to move out as soon as possible. She complained about the awful damp in the flats over the winter and how "freezing" it gets with an expensive electric heating system. Carol said: "They need to get a move on and find us a new house.

These flats are rubbish, they're mouldy and damp. There's nothing good I can say about them. I want to move in a bungalow around Seacroft.

"I think the neighbours all feel the same as me. Let's hurry up and get on with it. Let's get us moved to somewhere warm.

It's absolutely freezing here, it's electric central heating and costs about GBP5 a day to keep it warm. Who can afford that?! "We could never decorate these flats or do anything with them, it was a p*** take.

You can't put wallpaper up as it just gets damp and falls off."

Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council's executive member for housing, said: "The demolition of the tower blocks is an important step towards future proofing the council's housing stock, ensuring that we meet our commitment to delivering good quality and affordable homes for residents. "However, we understand the impact that this will have on our residents across the sites, and I would like to extend my thanks for their constructive engagement with the council so far. "We've undertaken extensive and proactive consultation with all of our impacted residents and communicated the outcomes clearly.

We are absolutely committed to ensuring any disruption is minimal. We will continue to ensure that all residents are supported through the rehousing process, to see that they are successfully rehoused into homes that suit them for the long term."

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References

1. ^ Seacroft (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
2. ^ Leeds City Council (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
3. ^ Fierce 'Marmite issue' row rumbling in 'posh' Yorkshire market town (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
4. ^ harsh realities of their lives (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
5. ^ here (twitter.com)
6. ^ here (www.leeds-live.co.uk)
7. ^ contact Samuel on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
8. ^ by clicking here (chat.whatsapp.com)