Andy Roche, 51, is the sole resident among 126 flats scheduled for demolition on the Lower Falinge estate in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Six surrounding 1960s tower blocks are already empty and boarded up with plywood, leaving Roche and his partner in an "eerie" wasteland as housing bosses prepare to tear the site down.
Last resident in a ghost estate
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) plans to bulldoze the estate to build up to 270 new homes. Roche, who is unemployed and has lived in his £95-a-week one-bed flat for 28 years, is refusing to leave. "We don't want to leave this area - it's where I've lived all my life since leaving my parents' home," he said. "There's never any trouble - and we like all of the green space."
Roche and his partner are both autistic and say RBH is failing to accommodate their specific needs, offering unsuitable properties next to a pub and a metalworks. "Because we're both autistic, we have very specific needs when it comes to things like noise, smells and lights," Roche said. "We've given RBH a list of our housing needs - but they seem to be ignoring it."
Living in a freezing, isolated block
Living in the deserted block has become a nightmare, with no heating in neighbouring flats leaving their home freezing. Roche also fears criminals are targeting the area. "We feel isolated," he said. "We worry about people breaking in when we're out of the flat. When I hear someone outside, I think - have they come with machines to knock us down?"
After receiving a notice seeking possession, Roche described the mental toll as devastating. "It's so distressing - I can't understate that. It's almost a matter of life and death with how distressing it is," he said.
Neighbours question the demolition
Neighbours on nearby blocks are baffled by the situation. Gemma Lucas, 32, a mother of six, said: "We're in a housing crisis - but those blocks are just sitting there empty waiting to get knocked down. Why can't people move into them?"
RBH says the dilapidated blocks have reached the end of their life and can no longer provide safe, warm housing. A spokesperson for RBH said: "We understand this is a very difficult situation for the customers involved, and we have been and will continue to work with them and their representatives to support them with finding a new home that meets their needs. Since June 2025, we have made five offers of new homes, including properties within Lower Falinge and nearby. We will continue to provide tailored practical and financial support throughout the move alongside our partners."
