The Gorsey Bank estate in Cheadle Heath once promised a fresh start.
But it met a tragic end – abandoned, falling into disrepair and eventually bulldozed. It’s been 15 years since the estate was demolished, eight years after the last residents moved out.
The site, located on the bank of the River Mersey, is now home to the Aurora Business Park, with few reminders of its past as ‘Stockport’s worst’ area, plagued by vandalism, burglaries and arson attacks. Dating back to 1935, Gorsey Bank, with its semi-detached houses, terraces and recreation ground, had deteriorated so much by the early 1970s that residents were calling for its demolition.
In 1978, the Stockport Advertiser, the predecessor of the Stockport Express, reported: “Many in the area believe that the whole area should be razed to the ground to make way for industrial development.”
Raymond Atherton, 42, said: “There is no point wasting any more money on this area. The Council should bulldoze the lot and build factories on the land.”
Reports from the time revealed a divide in the neighbourhood between proud, law-abiding residents and those it labelled, in language we wouldn’t use today, as ‘problem families’. But there was no doubt that the area was plagued by issues of antisocial behaviour.
A 1972 article in the Alderley and Wilmslow Advertiser painted a grim picture: “In 1935, Gorsey Bank was a new housing estate. Today, it is looked upon as an ‘open prison’ for debtors and problem families who find it difficult to lead a civilised life.
Gorsey Bank Estate, circa 1975
(Image: Stockport Local Heritage Library | stockport.gov.uk/stockport-image-archive)
“For the past few weeks it has been under the microscope of town hall officials, who will announce their findings next month. Their test is to decide whether it should remain a housing estate or be converted to some other use.”
The report added: “It would be difficult to paint a more sombre picture than that which has developed over Gorsey Bank during the years, yet, when the Advertiser visited the estate we found there were two sides to the story.
Gorsey Bank was in the spotlight following calls for its demolition
“We found problem families who protect what is left of their homes with vicious dogs, but we also found many families who take a pride in their homes and their gardens and will resist all attempts to have the estate ‘put down’.”
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By the late 1980s, Gorsey Bank had sunk deeper into decay. The area was described by the Stockport Advertiser as being: “Tucked into a hollow between the busy Brinksway and the murky Mersey, the only road to Gorsey Bank winds down an alley with high, corrugated iron fencing on the one side and a graffiti-strewn wall on the other.”
Gorsey Bank Estate was built on the banks of the River Mersey
(Image: Stockport Local Heritage Library | stockport.gov.uk/stockport-image-archive)
The descriptive piece continued: “As you crawl down the bank, you hold your breath as the tyres of your car crunch over the broken glass in the road. And despite the continued efforts of council workmen, glass and debris still litters the roads, paths and grass verges.
“The windows of the empty houses stare blankly over this desolate scene. Children play in the streets but they are outnumbered by the dogs. Dogs of all shapes, sizes and colours that prowl the streets for scraps and occasional fights.”
Yet, despite the estate’s outward appearance, most residents were ‘warm and friendly’, as the Express reported. What we now call ‘antisocial behaviour’ involving a minority accelerated the area’s decline.
Gorsey Bank Estate, in the foreground the remains of wrecked prams and pushchairs. Circa 1970
In 1989, the Stockport Express reported: “Apart from vandalism and lack of security, people particularly mentioned the problem of leaving their house empty for any time, such as to go shopping. Problems included graffiti, rubbish being tipped in gardens, windows smashed and cars damaged.
“Housing staff have become aware that harassment is a growing problem,” the newspaper added.
“Recent incidents included verbal abuse, graffiti, objects being thrown and physical threats. This is believed to be only a small proportion of the true extent of the problem since many people are unwilling to report incidents to police or housing staff or to testify in court for fear of reprisals.”
Gorsey bank estate in the 1990s
Despite the council’s efforts to secure the estate with 24-hour security patrols, its decline continued. By the 1980s and 1990s, many residents had lost hope. They abandoned their homes, leaving behind a trail of vacant properties that only added to the sense of desolation.
A 1996 news article in the Stockport Express Advertiser described the estate as a scene of “dereliction and decay”, with only a handful of families remaining among the 200 homes. The article vividly depicted the estate’s eerie atmosphere, with once-bustling streets now empty and silent.
The derelict Gorsey Bank estate
Mary Bancroft, an 82-year-old resident who had lived on the estate for 61 years, was among the last to hold out. She told the Advertiser: “I don’t want to go. I have had some good friends here. At one time it was the best estate you could ever live on and people really helped you if you had problems with people from outside.”
After decades of decline, the council finally decided to clear the estate and redevelop the site, announcing plans to do so in July 1998.
However, the site remained abandoned for years, continuing to attract antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping.
Gorsey Bank Development site cleared of homes
Then, in 2007, demolition was finally cleared, and construction on the new business park started. The late Councillor Sheila Bailey stated that year: “There were many law-abiding citizens living on the Gorsey Bank estate but, as usual, it was a minority ruining it for the rest.
“A lot of money was spent on the estate in the 1970s in an attempt to change the culture but the area just deteriorated. Clearing the estate was a long process and a difficult period, but it did reduce antisocial behaviour in the area. No one is particularly sorry to see the back of the Gorsey Bank estate.”