PEOPLE living on an estate among the hardest hit by the tornado that tore through Stalybridge have been hit with another problem – their damaged properties becoming targets.
And PC Carrie Davies, of Greater Manchester Police, met people at a meeting on Wednesday, January 3 to discuss the way forward.
She said, while still on her shift: “I know a lot of people are really concerned their property and their buildings. 
Councillors for Stalybridge North spoke at the meeting of residents in Carrbrook. “We’re paying particular attention to that. Unfortunately, there are people who prey on the misfortune of others.
Concerned residents gathered at the Buckton Vale Institute, where Carrbrook’s three ward councillors were joined by leader Cllr Ged Cooney and Kelly Harvey, regional manager of Residential Management Group (RMG), the company managing the estate.
Down the line, inspections of the properties over what were described a ‘latent defects’ when they were first built are likely to take place.
More immediately, though, is the job of repairing the estate and the damaged homes, some of which have been issued with notices under section 77 or 78 of the Dangerous Buildings Act.
RMG will have representatives with insurers’ loss adjustors on site on Friday, January 5 and people living on there will be assisted in finding out what they are responsible for, what Tameside Council is responsible for and what the firm looks after.
In no doubt is a boundary wall, which was blown over and has caused damage to individual gardens. Alleyways on site, which have seen people walking down them at night, are up for debate.
Kelly said: “We’ve had contractors out to assess the damage caused on the managed land around te reservoir and to the apartment building.
“They are scheduled to return with loss adjustors, who will start to assess some of the damage that’s been caused.
“We are going to erect scaffold at the apartment building so we can do more of a survey and assessment of the roof areas, we’ll know more after then.
“We have already appointed contractors to start scoping out the works that are needed to both the trees and apartments.
“We’re hopeful most of the damage will be covered by the insurance that’s in place. The boundary wall be assessed, it has been picked up already and it will form part of our insurance claim.
“Anything linked to the external wall is something we can look at collectively and we’ll send a masterplan showing who owns what will be sent out.”
Despite offering assistance, Kelly did confirm however the service charge residents pay RMG will not be hugely reduced, with many in attendance shaking their heads.
She added while also confirming piles of debris gathered will be collected: “There won’t be an immediate reduction as, for example, we’re still going to need to pay the insurance premium but you should see a saving at the end of the year.
“In terms of the other services, they’ll continue as normal.”
Cllr Cooney, who was pressed on the building inspections that are likely to come down the line – once the immediate work is done, insisted his authority will not duck any responsibility.
On the alleyways, he said: “We’ll find out. We’ll check and it if it ours then it our responsibility, if it’s not we’ll help you pursue whoever’s it is.”
He confirmed 97 notices now have been served, with eight delayed damage reports and some downgraded or removed after repair work was done.
He added: “There’s a lot to do and we’re doing what we can. Some people may say, ‘You’ve dragged your heels,’ and I saw someone say, ‘You didn’t do this on the day or within 24 hours.’
“It eas then Christmas period and we didn’t have a lot of staff in. We spoke to some demolition companies and they didn’t want to know.”
Cllr Cooney, who praised the actions of MP Jonathan Reynolds, also clarified Tameside Council’s use of the Government’s Bellwin Scheme, which The Correspondent revealed.
He added: “We think we’d be able to claim for an extra arborist, who came from Oldham and the building control officers we got from an agency.
“The maximum we think we’d get is about £10,000.”
*The Correspondent was invited to attend this meeting by ward councillors
Truly appalling and incorrect favouritism of Labour councillors(Wills and Feeley exclued) and the less than useless Reynold whose so called efforts amounted to nothing for local people and were beyond atrocious in their response.
A examplar of fake news,bias and propoganda.