The suburb of Longsight East has the highest level of deprivation in the borough of Manchester. Research released from the Office of National Statistics, show those living there are facing the most difficult struggle with the rising cost of living.
Following the release of the figures, the Manchester Evening News paid a visit to the inner city area to speak to residents, visitors and business owners. And the statistics came as no surprise to cafe owner Colin Wood.
“Everything is going up so much," the 56-year-old said. "I’m just living day to day.
"It’s constantly on my mind. Things have got to change.”
Colin fears his cafe will not survive until next Christmas. He's been there for ten years over which time he says he has seen major changes.
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“There are more cars on the road and people park everywhere,” he said. “There are holes all over the road, it’s been like that for years.
“If the area was done up more – the market – we would have more customers coming. On my days off, I’ve seen people I haven’t seen for years. They say they can’t park so they don’t come to this area.
“It’s not just a normal cafe, it’s a community and it’s vital. I’m absolutely getting down about it [the cost of living crisis].
“I won’t get rid of any staff. But it’s affected my wage – and the minute I touch my wages, I’ll have to walk away. It’s not good.”
Another Longsight resident struggling is great-granddad John Lengden who has lived in the area for more than 40 years. The 79-year-old said: "I live on my own and I’ve never struggled like this before with food and bills – it's terrible.
"I can’t go out and buy a lot. I just get what I need. I used to stock cupboards whenever my grandkids used to stay with me, I can’t do that anymore.
“You just have to go with it; there’s not much you can do. You just plod on. I’m okay because I’m on my own. I get by, but not as well as I used to.
“You come here and you only have to walk around [to see] it’s like a dustbin. Housing wise, it’s better. They should brighten up the place up but no one bothers.”
Maria Traziza moved to Manchester from Australia and has lived in Longsight for 17 years. “It’s not a bad area,” the 45-year-old said. “But it’s very rough and very dangerous.
"I live down the road and the crime over there, the substances people take. It’s so bad.”
She’s also struggling to meet the rising cost of living. “It’s terrible,” she said. “It’s extremely hard.
“It’s everything – rent, bills, you go into shops and prices change continuously. You go in and there’s hardly anything there. I have severe damp [in my house]. I sit and freeze, I can’t keep putting the heating on.”
Taxi driver Musassar Mehmood says he has been forced to make cutbacks for things like new clothes for his children and turning off the heating. The dad-of-three said: "Electric and gas, that’s the major hit.
"We have to turn [the heating on] if it’s cold, maybe for an hour. It’s hard, but at the same time, my way of thinking is slightly different. I know it does stress you out when you hear the news, but you just have to cope with it.
"You just have to work hard and get on with it. Everybody is the same – I'm the same, you’re the same, everybody here is the same.
"There’s nothing you can do. Obviously we want the government to make the right decisions, but I can’t force them.”
Regarding Colin's concerns about the number of cars on the road, Cllr Tracey Rawlins, Executive member for environment and transport at Manchester City Council, said: “In Manchester our overriding goal is to try and move away from a car-dominated mode of transport to other more accessible and environmentally friendly ways. We recently published our Active Travel Strategy which sets out how over the next five years the Council want to improve the overall network and encourage more people to walk or cycle short distances. However, where necessary the Council is directing resource across the city to improve carriageways and repair defects so that those who need to drive can do so.”
Regarding the market, the council said: "We are currently in consultation with Longsight traders regarding costs to trade at the market in light of increasing operational costs to the Council. However, this consultation is not due to finish until the beginning of March at which point we will review in conversation with the traders.
"We have also recently consulted with stakeholders regarding the future of the market and a possible redevelopment plan, and there are no plans to shut it down. It should be noted that the café has been charged considerably less than the market rate for his business due to a historical agreement and we are in contact with the trader to discuss his concerns."
Cllr Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive member for vibrant neighbourhoods said: “The Council is aware of the range of issues which affect residents in Longsight. The tackling of anti-social behaviour is an issue the Council takes very seriously, as no one should have to live in an area where they feel intimated or unsafe.
“We work with a range of partners including registered housing providers and Greater Manchester Police to investigate issues and work towards resolutions which make residents feel safe. However, we know there are still issues to address.
“The Council has, in the past, taken action to clamp down on known areas of crime and ASB, for example using closure orders to close shops or residential properties which are known to be focal points for this kind of behaviour. I would always urge our residents to contact the Council to report any problems they have so that together we can work to make our communities stronger and neighbourhoods safer.”
A council spokesman said green spaces are being developed to provide sustainable areas for the community, such as the community garden in Slade Lane. And the Local Investment Fund is being used to revitalise a building in Crowcroft Park, providing a much-needed space for community groups.
Strategies are being worked up to provide sustainable solutions for areas suffering from waste and recycling problems. And several community groups and residents have been supported through the Neighbourhood Investment Fund, enabling them to generate change in the local area, he said.
The M.E.N. approached Greater Manchester Police for comment about residents' concerns over crime. Crumpsall North and Heaton Park also have high levels of deprivation, coming in at around 36.7 per cent. At the other end of the scale, the least deprived areas of Manchester are Deansgate, Castlefield and West Didsbury.
