I live on Britain’s worst estate and I couldn’t be happier

Primrose Court in Huyton became one of the most notorious streets in the country after a viral social media video showed burned out houses, smashed windows and mounds of fly-tipped rubbish piled up on the road.

Subsequent reports of life on the estate were also harrowing with some residents suffering physical attacks, verbal abuse and having their homes targeted by vandals. However, years after Primrose Court was abandoned by property developers, the estate has been completely transformed and the long-suffering residents said they ‘couldn’t be happier’.

Khaled Baleid, 62, has seen the worst of Primrose Court over the years and has suffered numerous incidents of criminal damage to his property, continuous anti-social behaviour, serious assault and even death threats. Nonetheless, Khaled has always maintained Primrose Court is a good place to live and praised his neighbours as ‘good people’.

After years of ‘surviving’ on ‘Britain’s worst housing estate’, Khaled is visibly excited about the transformation of Primrose Court over the last 12 months and is looking forward to ‘living again’ and enjoying his home, he said: “I’m really happy. I’m over the moon now and couldn’t be happier. I faced the problems, but it feels it’s worth what I done, actually. Yes, I got injury in my head and in my back but now it is all different and I’m happy to be here and enjoy peace.

“Everybody saw the photographs of the estate in the past and it was known as the worst. But now it’s different. I feel pride living here now. It feels like a nice family place now.”

The problems at Primrose Court began when the estate was first built. Two developers linked to the scheme went bust before construction was completed leaving key parts of the street furniture, including kerbs and lighting uninstalled.

The road was left abandoned and ‘unadopted’ resulting in anti-social behaviour, gangs, fly-tipping and arson which blighted the area – forcing out residents and prompting homeowners to board up their properties.

Speaking to the LDRS whilst giving a tour of the refurbished estate is the owner of A1 Properties, Colin Bell who manages numerous properties on Primrose Court. As we walk around, Colin is greeted by tenants who speak to the vast improvements made over the last year and describe Primrose Court as friendly, family-focused and a ‘lovely place to live’.

Responding to the former tag of ‘Britain’s worst estate’, Colin said: “It was probably correct. It was really bad. People were coming in, fly tipping and generally just wrecking the place.

“People here have been unfairly vilified. Most of the problems were from people coming into the estate and causing trouble because it was abandoned. It was a struggle for people living here because they didn’t want any of the things that happened. They live here – they didn’t want the destruction and trouble that came here in the past. We’ve got good tenants here and it’s a nice community here.”

Echoing these sentiments are John Sandwell and Marie McCourt who both look after properties on Primrose Court and have endured a difficult time since investing here, John recalls: “The estate was never correctly finished. There was never any basics like street lighting so people did take advantage of it, used it as a dumping ground, vandalism, breaking into empty houses etc.

“It was a terrible estate and just disappointed us when we used to come down to see it. We were stuck with it, but we did stick with it so to speak and finally, with the help of the police commissioner and the council, the changes have been done and it’s all now coming to fruition. The whole estate is completely different and improved.”

The improvements were a long time coming and the result of a multi-pronged approach to the problems at Primrose Court. In 2022, Knowsley council said it had secured £367,000 from the government’s Safer Communities Fund to carry out essential works – including fixing potholes and kerbs and installing streetlights and CCTV. The two year maintenance and repair project has now been completed and the final two properties at Primrose Court are completely renovated with new tenants secured for both properties.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said: “I’m delighted to see the transformation of Primrose Court. This is a clear example of Knowsley Better Together in action and what can be achieved when partners and the community work together. The works completed really have made a huge difference to not only the current residents in Primrose Court, but also the wider community.”

A spokesperson for Knowsley Council added: “Local residents have also shared with council officers how “the street looks great and life is much quieter” and how residents have expressed increased feelings of pride in the local area.”