Cafe owner Colin Wood looks up at his faded sign, his eyes narrowed under the bright February sun. “I can’t even afford a new one,” he says. “Everything just goes up.”
Colin knows his café can’t survive much longer. Tucked away in the most deprived part of Manchester, the Longsight restaurant is unlikely to see Christmas.
“I just live from day to day,” the 56-year-old told the newspaper Manchester Evening News. “It’s constantly on my mind. Things have to change.”
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People living in Longsight are struggling with the rising cost of living more than anywhere else in the Manchester borough, new research has found. Looking at employment, education, healthcare and housing levels, figures from the Office of National Statistics show that Longsight East has the highest number of people living in disadvantaged conditions, followed by Victoria Park and Longsight West.
The statistic does not come as a surprise to Colin. Having owned his cafe for more than a decade, he has seen tremendous changes in the downtown area over the years, from poor footfall to general neglect.
“There are more cars on the road and people parking everywhere,” he says. “There are potholes everywhere, it has been that way for years.
“If the area were more organized – the market – more customers would come. On my days off I’ve seen people I haven’t seen in years. They say they can’t park so they don’t come to this area.
“It’s not just an ordinary café, it’s a community and vital. It absolutely depresses me [the cost of living crisis].
“I’m not going to lay off any staff. But it affects my wages – and as soon as I touch my wages, I have to walk away. It’s not good.”
Great-grandfather John Lengden is another Longsight resident struggling with the rising cost of living. While he would normally stock his cupboards when his grandchildren were staying over, he can now only afford to buy food every day.
“It’s difficult,” the 79-year-old told the newspaper GENTLEMEN “I live on my own and have never struggled so much with food and bills – it’s terrible.
“I get what I need every day. I can’t go out and buy much. I just get what I need. I used to fill cupboards when my grandchildren stayed with me, but I can no longer do that.
“You just have to go with it; you can’t do much. Go ahead, I’ve been doing it for 50 years. I’m doing fine because I’m on my own. I can manage, but not as well as I used to.”
John has lived in Longsight for more than 40 years and says some parts are better than others. “You come here and all you have to do is walk around [to see] it’s like a garbage can. In terms of housing it is better. They should spruce up the place, but no one is bothering.”
Elsewhere in the borough, Crumpsall North and Heaton Park also have high poverty levels, at around 36.7 per cent.
At the other end of the scale are the least deprived areas of Manchester: Deansgate, Castlefield and West Didsbury.
Showing how the city of Manchester is changing, a number of formally deprived neighborhoods near the city centre, such as Collyhurst, Piccadilly and Ancoats, New Islington and Bradford and Miles Platting, are now perhaps among the lowest ranked neighborhoods in the city regarding poverty. due to the level of gentrification currently taking place.
Maria Traziza has lived in Longsight for 17 years and moved to Manchester from Australia. “It’s not a bad area,” the 45-year-old said. “But it is very rough and very dangerous. I live down the street and the crime there, the substances people use. It’s so bad.”
Maria believes the area could benefit from more local amenities. She pointed to a nearby betting shop and said: “That used to be a bank, now it’s a bookmaker.”
And she is also struggling to stay afloat as the cost of living crisis continues to cripple the country. “It’s terrible,” Maria added. “It’s extremely difficult.
“It’s everything: rent, bills, you go to stores and the prices are constantly changing. You go in and there’s almost nothing. I have serious moisture problems [in my house]. I sit and freeze, I can’t keep the heating on.”
Maria’s dire situation is a taxi driver who knows Musassar Mehmood all too well. “Obviously everyone is in the same boat,” the father of three said.
“Electricity and gas, that’s the big hit. We have to pivot [the heating on] if it’s cold, maybe an hour.”
Musassar says he has been forced to cut back on expenses to meet basic necessities, such as buying new clothes for his children. “It’s difficult, but at the same time my way of thinking is slightly different.
“I know it stresses you out when you hear the news, but you just have to deal with it. You just have to work hard and keep going.
“Everyone is the same – I’m the same, you’re the same, everyone here is the same. There’s nothing you can do. Of course we want the government to make the right decisions, but I cannot force them.”
The Manchester Evening News approached Manchester Council regarding all concerns about the area raised in this article.
Responding to Colin’s concerns about the number of cars on the road, Coun Tracey Rawlins, executive member for environment and transport at Manchester City Council, told the Manchester evening news: “In Manchester our main aim is to try to move away from a car-dominated mode of transport towards other, more accessible and environmentally friendly modes.
“We recently published our Active Travel Strategy, which sets out how the Council wants to improve the overall network over the next five years and encourage more people to walk or cycle short distances.
“However, where necessary, Council is directing resources across the city to improve roadways and repair defects so that those who need to drive can do so.”
In relation to rising market stall prices, the council added: “We are currently in discussions with Longsight traders regarding the costs of trading at the market in light of rising operational costs for the council. However, these consultations will not end until early March. at which point we will assess it in conversation with the traders.
“We have also recently consulted with stakeholders about the future of the market and a possible redevelopment plan, and there are no plans to close it.
“It should be noted that due to a historic agreement, the cafe has been charging significantly less than market rate for its business and we are in contact with the trader to discuss its concerns.”
Coun Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighborhoods said: “The council is aware of the range of issues affecting the residents of Longsight. Tackling anti-social behavior is an issue that the Council takes very seriously, as no one should have to live in an area where they feel intimidated or unsafe.
“We are working with a range of partners, including registered housing providers and Greater Manchester Police, to investigate issues and work on solutions to help residents feel safe. However, we know there are still issues that need to be addressed.
“The Council has taken action in the past to tackle known forms of crime and ASB, for example by using closure orders to close shops or homes known to be a focus of this type of behaviour.
“I would always urge our residents to contact Council to report any concerns they may have so that we can work together to make our communities stronger and neighborhoods safer.”
In relation to work in the area, a council spokesperson said green spaces are being developed to provide sustainable areas for the community, such as the community garden in Slade Lane.
The Local Investment Fund is being used to revitalize a building in Crowcroft Park, creating much-needed space for community groups.
Strategies are being developed to provide sustainable solutions for areas facing waste and recycling problems.
Several community groups and residents have been supported through the Neighborhood Investment Fund, helping them bring about change in the local environment, he said.
The GENTLEMEN has approached GMP for comment on residents’ concerns about crime.
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