India House residents say scaffolding leaves flats in darkness

Residents at India House on Whitworth Street say they have to keep lights switched on throughout the day because scaffolding and thick plastic block daylight from their flats.

Work has taken place on and off since 2020. The Manchester apartment block has been covered by scaffolding for much of the past six years.

One tenant, who asked to remain anonymous, described the effect on residents: “People feel trapped. It’s a nightmare to tell the truth,” they said.

The tenant also raised concerns about people accessing the structure: “You get people climbing on the scaffolding, you don’t feel safe in your own home. It’s like we’re caged in by it.”

The Guinness Partnership, which runs India House, said roof work had been ongoing. It said some tenants had previously received compensation to help cover heating costs.

Noel Gallagher lived in the building when he wrote some of Oasis’s best-known songs.