People living next to huge outlet shop say 'it's like M6 for rats'

People living near to Cheshire Oaks have revealed the truth about life in the shadow of the UK's largest outlet centre. Cheshire Oaks, opened in 1995, is popular with West Midlands folk looking for designer bargains.

Rita Duvall Jones is nearing her ninth year residing on the street adjacent to Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks. Despite battling often debilitating arthritis, she strives to keep her garden in good condition for her escape-artist tortoise, Mandela, and her eight grandchildren.

Rita, who moved from Ellesmere Port to a bungalow for better access due to her condition, has faced tough times since the loss of her son five years ago. Despite the convenience of living next to a retail park, she's encountered a significant downside, reports Cheshire Live.

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"It's lovely here but it has got its problems. It's not because of anybody in this road - it's because of what's behind us," Rita explained. She attributes the "invasion of rats" that she and her neighbour have experienced to the KFC located just beyond their back gardens.

Her neighbour's bird seed, hung out at night, would often disappear, revealing an unexpected nocturnal activity. "He had like a washing line on the front with birdfeeders, so of a night-time, on the camera, you could see all the rats eating the seed. The security light was on-off, on-off."

"I realised that the rats were passing my back door like it was the M6."

KFC, however, denies any responsibility for the rodent problem, suggesting that the animals seen are squirrels, not rats. A KFC Spokesperson commented: "We consistently work with Ecolabs and Pest Control to keep our outdoor spaces pest-free. Recent checks this week confirmed there were no unwanted guests, but those sneaky squirrels from the neighbouring woods might be the culprit here."

"We've let our local customers know that our stringent processes are successful, and we will continue to work with local authorities to ensure it remains this way."

Rita, a local resident, has been forced to shell out for pest control measures despite reaching out to the restaurant for assistance. She said: "We had to pay £40 each and they said if it happened again, they'd foot the bill. Why should I keep buying rat poison? ".

In addition to the pest problem, another long-term resident who has lived on the street for 34 years finds the heavy traffic in and out of Cheshire Oaks challenging. The resident, who preferred not to be named, commented: "Traffic is awful. The traffic is the main thing that spoils it around here, completely."

They added, "Sometimes you can't even get out of here. Four o'clock isn't a good time to go anywhere...because you can't get out or get in."

Reflecting on the changes over the years, they believe the park's growth and popularity have negatively affected the neighbourhood. "Being up here used to be nice - now it's all full on. It used to be just sort of on the weekend and now it's literally every day," they remarked.

Derek Johnson, a former architect who has resided on Stanney Lane for 34 years, has a more positive outlook. He walks his small dog, Pippin, several times a day and remembers when the area was mostly farmland.

Despite acknowledging the changes, Derek doesn't see the traffic as a significant issue, except for occasional visits to the village hall for events. He further commented: "I like this street - it's as good as anywhere to live."

A unique feature of the neighbourhood is an old bus shelter at the end of the street that he helped to design and convert into a book swap. "People come and take some and bring some of their own and what not, so you get a lot of people pulling up," he said.

Kelly Janjic, owner of Lime Tree Farm, has been a resident bordering Cheshire Oaks for five years. She loves the convenience of being able to walk over if she needs to shop and enjoys the proximity to the restaurants.

Like Derek, she doesn't find the traffic too disruptive, given the location. Kelly suggests that traffic can be easily avoided by simply planning your outings.

She explained: "Don't get me wrong, Black Friday, for example, I went to Asda which is a mile down the road and it took me a while to get back. You have to kind of think about - do you really have to go out on a Saturday afternoon at two o'clock? ".

"As far as Cheshire Oaks is concerned, we don't get any traffic down here. Might get the odd person coming through but they could be going anywhere couldn't they. I don't personally have any problems".