On Sunday night, the first part of the Fred and Rose West drama, Appropriate Adult, is being shown on ITV. Scenes surrounding the Wests' Cromwell Street home were filmed in Cardiff Street in the Top Streets of Higher Broughton, as exclusively revealed by Salford Star last March (see here).
But while tv film crews have been using the tinned up properties as sets (see here) Salford Council has been trying to demolish every house in the Top Streets for the past two years, despite the efforts of local residents to save them, and despite there being no developer in sight to build new houses.
Residents in Cardiff Street and the nearby Devonshire Street have a High Court injunction to try and stop Salford City Council demolishing their homes, after the Council promised to refurbish 23 properties and then didn't (see here). That case should have been in court nearly two years ago (see here)but the residents have been living in limbo while the case has been delayed and delayed. It's supposed to be back in the High Court on September 9th.
Meanwhile, on Monday, it will be exactly six years since the Griffiths brothers, Guy and Jimmy, were evicted from their home in the Bottom Streets by the local sheriff and a posse of police. They were the first people in the country to be physically chucked out under the then Government's discredited Pathfinder scheme (see here).
The brothers were turfed out of their home in a hurry to make way for a community hub and sports field which is still not open. Two years ago a Land Tribunal ruled that Salford Council had undervalued Jimmy's house by a whopping 42% (see here). And, since that decision Jimmy is still waiting for his compensation disturbance payment from the Council, despite submitting all the receipts nearly two years ago.
Meanwhile, Guy Griffiths, whose house in the Bottom Streets was similarly undervalued and demolished, had bought a house in the Top Streets only to find a CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order) slapped on the area and residents being moved out.
Last September, Guy was involved in a real life horror drama as he saw a hand coming through his attic door, a thief trying to break into his home. The bloke had smashed through five other empty attics in the street to get to the occupied house (see here).
Living in fear and isolation is a constant for residents left behind in the demolition zone of the Top Streets, as verified by Salford council itself (see here).
Unsurprisingly, Guy Griffiths, having lived through demolition hell for over a decade, wants to leave Salford forever. But the Council won't give him the £25,000 `discretionary' relocation grant, arguing that he has to stay in Salford to receive it. He's still fighting the decision and the case is about to come up before Salford Council's Housing Panel very soon.
While viewers will see just a glimpse of the Top Streets in Appropriate Adult, behind the ITV drama is a real life drama that has already been running for years.
"It seems very strange after all this time that Salford Council still hasn't got a developer ready to build or renovate and the only use for the streets is for film sets" says Guy Griffiths "I'd love to see everyone from the Council who has been involved with this regeneration come and have a walk around the place and say they've done a good job."
Appropriate Adult is on ITV Sunday 4th September
See previous Salford Star stories on the Top Streets...
* Demolition Derby in Top Streets - click here
* Demolition Challenge - click here
* Fear and Loathing in Higher Broughton - click here
* Salford Star Higher Broughton Inquiry Call - click here
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