Resident warns about housing firm after saying he hates living there

Chris Leigh moved to Cabul Close in 2007 after buying his first home, not realising it was part of a Torus estate.

The 41-year-old believes the area was well maintained until 2010, when he started to notice some issues, including weeds growing around the estate and trees that were untrimmed.

“Back in 2012 I used to go out with bin bags and brushes, and I would spend a couple of hours a week brushing the path and the car park and pulling the weeds,” he said.

“I was sick of driving in seeing it look a state. I’m not asking for much, I would just like it to be clean.”

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian in May, Chris said he once spent five hours brushing the area with a neighbour, collecting seven bin bags of dirt in the process, but said the estate is still unkept.

Pictures shared by Chris in May of Cabul Close (Image: Supplied)

“If I had known it was going to get nowhere, I wouldn’t have bothered,” he said.

“I have literally wasted hundreds of hours.

Chris now says that the state of the area now makes him wish he could move out of Warrington.

“I hate living here,” he said.

“Obviously I know there are far worse places to live, and I know there are far worse things that can happen, but your home is your sanctuary.

“If I had the money to move I would have already.”

When Torus were contacted for a comment, a spokesperson confirmed that a complaint had been received and that steps were being taken to deal with the issues.

“The complainant has been informed we are currently dealing with the aspects of their complaint we have responsibility for,” said Jan Calland, housing services director at Torus.

“Several repairs have now been completed on the estate and an inspection of trees in the area has confirmed the lower branches and debris have already been removed to provide clearance for vehicles and pedestrians as per our tree management programme and policy. The complainant has been provided with an update.”

Chris is frustrated with the appearance of the estate (Image: YouTube)

However, Chris has since got back in touch with the Warrington Guardian, stating that the issues have not been resolved.

He included a link to a video posted on YouTube titled ‘Avoid Torus Housing Association, they suck’.

In this video, Chris walks around Cabul Close and points out the various maintenance issues on the estate.

“Straight off the bat, if you have a choice of moving into a property or buying a property that is on a Torus estate or it’s a torus house, avoid it like the plague,” he said in the video.

Chris shows a mattress on the ground in the estate that he says has been there since the start of the year, and now appears to be green with mould.

One shot of the video shows a mattress that appears to be mouldy (Image: YouTube)

“I’d really like to move but I can’t afford to, not in the position, so I’m stuck,” he continues.

He also highlights other areas where furniture has been dumped around the estate.

When approached for a comment again, a spokesperson for Torus said that maintenance issues had be taken care of.

“On Friday [6th Sept] we tidied all the areas we are responsible for in the area by cutting grass, pruning shrubs, spraying weeds and after the bird nesting season, bushes overhanging Quebec Road will be trimmed too,” said Margaret Goddard, group assets director at Torus.

“Torus and Warrington Borough Council both own part of the land in this area so we are working closely together to maintain the sections we are each responsible for.”