It's days before Christmas on Primrose Court in Huyton, and work is underway to restore one of the abandoned homes.
The house was badly damaged by a fire several years ago, and like many of the houses on the estate, which are privately owned, it has sat empty and abandoned ever since. The ECHO has previously reported on the issues facing the housing estate, which has fallen victim to crime and fly tipping in recent years.
People were shocked to see so many empty homes when a video of the estate was shared millions of times on TikTok at the start of this year. But 12 months on, work has started to install CCTV, street lighting and a new road surface on Primrose Court, which is expected to be largely completed by April 2023.
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These measures have been a long time coming for those who live in the area, who hope it will help to deter criminals and fly-tippers.
Khaled Baleid, 59, told the ECHO: "When lighting is there if there’s any trouble in the area it will be easier to identify, but if there is no camera or lighting really it is very hard to control this area. If they do it it will be a positive change.
"I just want to see improvements with the other empty houses. They’ve just left them like this.
"Windows are broken and it still looks quite miserable. It's attracting criminal when they're empty."
Earlier this year, Khaled told the ECHO a gang were asking him for money in exchange for protection in the area, despite him refusing to do so. Merseyside Police carried out a "day of action" on Primrose Court in June, aimed at targeting serious violence and hate crime.
Khaled said there's been less crime in recent months after a gang who were threatening residents left the area. However, he said he still doesn't feel entirely safe, with strangers often coming and going from the estate who he doesn't know.
Khaled said: "If they’re going away from my property and not doing anything to harm me or my family or other neighbours that will be a big bonus.
"Christmas is Christmas. We still celebrate Christmas with the people who are around us and also with my family who are Arabic, whether there’s empty houses or not."
The problems first started on Primrose Court when it was built over 15 years ago. With two developers associated with the scheme going bust before construction was even completed, key parts of the street furniture, including kerbs and lighting were never installed.
The road was not adopted either, which meant responsibility for its upkeep fell to the residents rather than the council.
In December 2020, Knowsley Council told the ECHO funding had been secured from the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership that would be used to tackle arson in the area through improved lighting and CCTV.
When asked for an update on this funding the following year, Knowsley Council said while it had been successful with a funding bid, further funding was needed to regenerate the area before CCTV could be installed.
Earlier this year, Knowsley Council announced it would be carrying out remedial works to improve the state of the estate, using £367k of money earmarked from the government’s Safer Streets fund through the police commissioner.
The council told the ECHO this week that this work has now started and once completed the road will be brought into council control – a process knowing as adoption – which would then make its upkeep the responsibility of the borough.
A Knowsley Council spokesperson said: “The Council and partners are working with local residents to address the issues they have identified at Primrose Court and the wider Hillside area. Since we received funding in July 2022 through the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, work has been progressing on the installation of CCTV columns in and around Primrose Court.
"Improvements in Primrose Court also include the installation of a new road surface, street lighting, boundary fences and green space improvements in the area. The majority of this work will be completed by April 2023 (subject to support from local residents and home owners), with green space improvements in the local area being a longer-term project.
"The Crime and Communities Team continues to liaise with property owners and is also in regular contact with the Manager at Hillside Community Centre regarding a community engagement programme with will be delivered by September 2023. To date, Primrose Court has been a privately owned, unadopted road, left in a very poor state by the original developers.
"In order for the Council to adopt the highway, undertake improvement works and maintain it in future years, the Council approved works (funded by the Safer Streets Fund). Once complete, the Council will then formally adopt the highway and secure its long-term maintenance.
"The Council is continuing to work with partners and engage with the local community to deliver improvements to Primrose Court.”
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