'Derelict' TikTok estate road adopted by council in bid to end local carnage

22 September 2023 , 08:31

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Primrose Court has been blighted by antisocial behaviour since it opened 15 years ago (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A road on an estate blighted by antisocial behaviour which went viral last year thanks to videos showing rubbish piled high and remains of fire has been adopted by a council.

Residents of Primrose Court in Huyton, Liverpool, have had to put up with gangs, fly-tipping and arson for around 15 years when it was built.Two developers involved in the scheme went bust before construction was completed, leaving key parts of the street furniture, including kerbs and lighting uninstalled. Several homes have been abandoned and boarded up.

The road was also left unadopted, which meant the responsibility for its upkeep fell to residents rather than the council. Last year, Knowsley council said it had secured £367,000 from the government's Safer Communities Fund to carry out essential works on the road.

It has now adopted the road, reports Liverpool Echo. Last year a resident who lived on Primrose Court with his young daughter said outsiders prey on the unadopted street. They told the Mirror : “The smashed out windows and burned down houses have been there for years. It's outsiders coming in, dumping their rubbish, setting fires in the street and fighting.

“If you come again next week it won’t look like this because we’ll have all pitched together to clean it up, but it won’t be long before they come back and dump more rubbish. Some of the rubbish has been here for years. I think the council needs to do something because that’s the real problem. Nobody owns the street.Of course it bothers the residents, we don’t want to come out and look at the street like that or come out and see mess everywhere."

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The new improvements are hoped to bring an end to the carnage. A Knowsley Council spokesperson said the local authority is also working with residents to better "understand their needs" and is committed to supporting "long-term change and rejuvenate the area."

The spokesperson said: "Earlier this year, a programme of improvement works commenced at Primrose Court in Huyton as part of the Safer Streets project. The works are now nearing completion. Already, the council has adopted the road and it has laid a new road surface, and street lighting, boundary fences and security devices for homes have been installed on the estate - all of which are aimed at preventing anti-social behaviour and making residents feel more secure in their homes.

“A number of empty homes that were in disrepair have also benefited from upgrades by the homeowners to bring them back into use. This complements the ongoing work already taking place in the area including police high visibility patrols and clean-up operations to remove fly tipping and graffiti.”

Antony Thrower