'It's gone completely to pieces' - Frustrated residents speaks out against owners of Sheffield block of flats

A pensioner has called on the owners of her block of flats to cut down a hedge which she says has grown higher than the building she lives in.
Elizabeth Walton, Barbara Taylor and Diane Blythe-Brown who are compaining about the lack of maintenance to the edge at their flats by Guinness Partnership.Elizabeth Walton, Barbara Taylor and Diane Blythe-Brown who are compaining about the lack of maintenance to the edge at their flats by Guinness Partnership.
Elizabeth Walton, Barbara Taylor and Diane Blythe-Brown who are compaining about the lack of maintenance to the edge at their flats by Guinness Partnership.

Barbara Taylor said the Grassdale View complex, in Hackenthorpe, has 'gone completely to pieces' since it was taken over in 2012.

Ms Taylor said she had lived in her flat for 30 years and claimed the current owners, Guinness Partnerships had 'made a total mess' of the complex and aren’t taking steps to rectify the situation.

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She said: “It used to be a loveable site when I moved here, and then Guinness took over.

“The hedges are growing higher than the flats. There is a hedge that hasn’t been touched for nearly three years and it is actually growing higher than the flats in some places. I get onto them every single year and ‘we’re looking into it’ is all I ever get.”

Guinness Partnerships said it was aware of the situation and wanted to do all they can to improve Barbara’s experience.

A spokeswoman said: “We really want to work with Mrs Taylor on this. We have contacted our contracted gardeners to cut the hedge down soon. We want to make sure everything is up to standard.”

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Ms Taylor said: "We used to have 40-year-old cherry trees that flowered lovely. I asked them in 2016 if they could give them a little trim and they pollarded them. Now all we’ve got are seven stumps remaining, which is why I’ve lovingly called them the ‘seven deadly trees’."

Guinness said the trees were cut down after taking specialist advice from tree experts who said they would soon grow back and be more manageable.

Barbara also praised Coun Karen McGowan for listening to her plea and causing those responsible to take notice.

She said: “Guinness aren’t being fair to people. If you look at the bottom of their letters what does it say? ‘Great service and great homes’. The great homes I’ll go along with, but ‘great service’, no way.”

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