SPECIAL REPORT: The developer behind Farnworth Green said that the issues risk ‘squandering this once in a generation opportunity to make the centre of town fantastic’
A new housing development hailed as the catalyst of a town’s regeneration is being ‘terrorised’ by gangs of youths, residents say.
Farnworth Green, a long-campaigned for redevelopment of the 1970s market precinct in the town centre, was completed in late 2024, following two years of construction. The 97 flats and town-houses built are fully let to residential tenants.
However, a Manchester Evening News investigation has found some residents are set to leave the development when their initial tenancy agreement ends.
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They say they are not going because of the build quality of the apartments, its location or rent levels, but purely due to feeling unsafe due to persistent anti-social behaviour from young people, often wearing balaclavas, gathering in the area and misbehaving.
Residents have told of break-ins, attempted muggings and stones thrown at them, along with racial and sexual abuse directed at them in public areas.
One tenant said some were considering taking matters into their own hands and ‘it’s only a matter of time until one of us gets arrested’.
A recent incident saw the communal square between the two blocks vandalised, with a tree, plants and shrubs torn out and launched through open flat windows and onto balconies.
Tim Heatley, the co-founder of Farnworth Green’s developer, Capital & Centric said the issues threaten to ‘squander this once in a generation opportunity’ to regenerate the town.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said a new team of officers was operating in the town centre and pledged to address the behaviour of the youths.
They encouraged those affected to report incidents so that resources could be diverted to the area.
Matt Jones, 26, has lived at Farnworth Green since July 2025. He said that due to the issues he and his partner would be moving out when their year long tenancy agreement ends.
“Like many of the other residents, we’ve felt consistently terrorised by the anti-social behaviour here,” he said.
“Many of us are scared to leave our homes after 5pm because they all hang around outside the building and have broken in numerous times.”
In January Matt was the victim of an attempted phone robbery while on the public square at Farnworth Green.
He said: “I was walking towards Asda down Brackley Street and as I turned past the Coffee House two lads on bikes wearing balaclavas were approaching me from behind. “The first one rammed into my back, trying to knock me down, luckily he didn’t, and the second one went to swipe my phone out of my pocket.”
On March 5, the town centre police team held a public meeting at Farnworth Green with tenants, other town centre residents and business owners.
One man shared his frustration with officers: “It’s eventually going to get to the point where one of us is going to get arrested,” he said.
“People are moving out, how much time do you need?”
Around 30 minutes in, the meeting was briefly interrupted after young people on bikes were spotted at the windows of the Rivington suite, apparently filming those inside with phones. A police officer and a PCSO immediately went outside to speak to them.
One woman told the meeting: “It’s been 12 months of pretty much the same kids. “The other day we had an incident of criminal damage, they snapped a tree, flipped a bench over pulled a loads of plants out and chucked them through people’s open window and balconies.
“It’s the groups hanging around the area, it is anti-social – shouting, racial abuse, verbal abuse and throwing stones at people.”
Another woman, said: “As residents we feel very threatened. When you see a big group of boys, whether they do things or not it threatening.
“As a person of colour I’ve been targeted with racial slurs and had stones thrown at me while walking. “We need to feel safe in out own flats, we have a right to that.
“At the moment it’s so threatening to even walk from our flats to Asda, which is a very short distance.”
Recent messages on a residents’ group reveal that other tenants intend to move out because of the issues.
One said: “We have called the police three times regarding this, nothing has been done. “The night we moved into our apartment one of them shot a firework right next to our puppy, absolutely terrified her, since then she’s been petrified of fireworks and bangs. “Unfortunately, we’ll be moving out in May.”
Another, said: “I’ve been basically moved out for months – the kids are constant and the police are doing nothing. “I don’t feel safe and my car isn’t safe either.
“I hate that people in this development are becoming victims to these degenerate kids and I hate that I’ve wasted so much money on a place that is unsafe to live in.”
GMP have encouraged tenants encountering issues around the complex to report it to them. Farnworth community Sgt Emily Fogg said every incident from Farnworth Green would be reviewed and reports were never ‘lost in the system’.
She added data would be used to divert police resources to where they are needed.
She said: “I know the data we have for this area does not reflect what’s actually happening here at all. “The reports we get are absolutely less than what you’re experiencing.
“If we get the repeat addresses where trouble is happening, repeat offenders, repeat victims, having that data from all the different lines of communication – then something has got to be done about it.
“Without that data it’s really difficult for us to campaign to senior leadership who have control of where resources are deployed. “That’s why engagement and reporting is important even if you you not get a cop coming to you.”
She also stressed the importance of CCTV and phone video evidence of issues to identify offenders.
Farnworth town centre PCSO Dougie Tamuno said the police and community would have a fresh start in Farnworth.
He said “We need to move forward and learn, because now we’ve got new team. “If we know the names of the individuals, we can put that to the faces.
“A lot of them a all ballied up but we will try and identify them.”
The police and community meeting explored sanctions and consequences if culprits are identified.
The discussion explored the work of the youth ASB pathway and the tools available to the police, including referrals, exclusion orders, warnings and bail conditions as the criminal element is progressed.
Attendees also heard about possible tenancy warnings to parents of culprits and working with schools and youth clubs.
Practical solutions were also discussed around investments in the town centre CCTV system and high street lighting and modernising communication channels between town centre businesses.
Ollo, the management company who run Farnworth Green, said they were ‘doing everything we can’ to work with the police on the issues.
Ollo said employing private security guards at the complex could ‘create a cat and mouse situation’ as they do not have the powers of police.
A spokesman, added: “We are becoming increasingly frustrated about the ongoing issues with local youths, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage to our green, intimidation and verbal abuse.
“We need to push for a police presence and not have the attitude ‘there’s nothing we can do’. “Report every incident to the police – it takes five minutes to report an incident online.
“If it’s not reported, it doesn’t exist in official records and the police need accurate data to understand the scale and severity of what’s happening.”
Tim Heatley is the co-founder of Capital & Centric, the developers behind Farnworth Green. He said: “We share the frustration at this. “It’s upsetting to hear these comments from tenants.
“We are aware of these issues and are deeply frustrated. “This development for Farnworth is a once in a generation investment.
“The physical space we’ve created and the management team we’ve put in there are great, that’s the positive side.
“But I’m worried that of we don’t get this next bit right, the policing side of it, we’re going to squander this once in a generation opportunity to make the centre of Farnworth fantastic.”
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