'Landlord suddenly forced us out - and now we can't go back'

A man forced to leave the social housing flat he has lived in for 15 years with just two hours' notice said he has been told he cannot go back.

Malcolm Atkinson was among the seven residents living in the Mitchell Hey tower block, part of Rochdale's 'Seven Sisters' housing complex, evacuated on 6 March over what Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) said was a broken water main.

The landlord said it has now decided not to reopen the block because it has been unable to find a special contractor for the "highly complex" repairs.

Atkinson said residents were left angry after what they felt was "just a ploy to get us to agree to leave" .

His parents were among the original tenants of Mitchell Hey, one of the seven buildings called College Bank, but known locally in Rochdale as the Seven Sisters.

Residents remaining in 229 flats in the blocks have been in a protracted battle with RBH, which last year told all tenants they would have to leave due to safety issues identified in building surveys.

The decision came despite ongoing work by a taskforce set up by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to find funding for a refurbishment of the flats.

RBH has previously denied claims it was trying to use the water leak repairs to speed up plans to remove tenants at Mitchell Hey.

Atkinson said he was given two hours to leave on a Friday afternoon after RBH discovered a leak they claimed had damaged communal electrical systems.

He told BBC Radio Manchester he has since spent weeks in hotels and bed and breakfasts, and his health worsened as a result.

"I've had to move seven times. I have no idea where I am going to go to. They have no idea where they're going to put me," he said.

The 55-year-old said he has health problems that mean he needs self-catering accommodation to cook his own meals, but RBH had not been able to find him any.

"I looked for myself and found somewhere in 30 seconds. They couldn't in three weeks, I managed in 30 seconds.

"For them to say they have got our best interests or well being at heart is adding insult to injury."

He has continued to pay rent for his flat despite being told he would not have to, which has left him and the other evacuated residents "very angry", he said.

In a statement RBH said the well being and safety of the seven evacuated Mitchell Hey tenants was "our top priority".

The landlord said: "The repair required to the ageing water pipe is highly complex, and despite extensive efforts, we have not found any specialist contractor who is willing or able to take on the work.

"Our decision not to reopen Mitchell Hey will protect the safety and wellbeing of our customers and provide them with certainty and clarity during what we know is already a difficult time for many."

RBH says no decision on the potential demolition of the tower blocks has been made.

Mark Slater, chair of a campaign to save the Seven Sisters, said it was "unbelievable" that RBH could not find a specialist contractor given it manages more than 10,000 homes.

He said those evicted from Mitchell Hey included some tenants in their 90s who were living there was "their forever home".

Slater said RBH was taking advantage of the issues at Mitchell Hey, and the landlord's actions were "disrespectful at best".

RBH promised to look at refurbishing the flats in 2023 and dropping plans to demolish the blocks in 2017.

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