We’re living a newbuild nightmare – our gardens are full of rubbish, pavements are unfinished and it’s a total eyesore
FURIOUS residents have moved into newbuild houses on an estate filled with piles of rubble, soil heaps and unfinished roads.
Families in the new Corelli housing development in Sherborne, Dorset, say their homes are an eyesore with gardens strewn with rubbish.
They have also complained of unsafe fencing and incomplete streetlighting around the newly-built estate.
Dorset Council is currently trying to negotiate a solution with building firm Persimmon South West, but has threatened legal action if the many issues are not addressed.
Councillor Jon Andrews slammed the building firm and described how residents are “fed up” of looking at abandoned piles of building materials.
Persimmons South West has built more than 450 homes at the site, the majority of which are occupied.
Mr Andrews explained the firm had applied for planning permission to build further properties at the site, but has run into issues with nutrient neutrality – the impact of new developments on water quality in an area.
He told The Sun: “They have built 478 new homes, which are nearly full, and the builders have a planning application to build more, but cannot complete their work due to nitrate issues.
“Because they can’t get planning permission, they have just delayed everything.
“They have left piles of rubble, building material, roads are incomplete – there’s rubbish everywhere.
“They are also not maintaining grass areas, but residents are being charged a fortune to for maintenance fees to a private management company. They are all fed up of it. They think the builders have taken the money and run and are still taking money for the management company.
“This has been going on for 18 months. There is a 10ft-high pile of building materials that has just been left there for around a year now. It is just wrong, they have a responsibility.
“If I was a builder, I would not want to sell those houses.”
Resident Kevin Graham also told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “After close to 10 years on site, developers have now left the estate with incomplete roads, pavements, streetlighting, blocked drains, building material rubbish discarded in various locations on site, two 10-metre-high soil spill tips, various poorly supported and dangerous metal grid fencing, alongside unmown verges for months at a time.”
Planning councillor David Walsh added that the council are investigating the “various concerns” of residents as part of a planning enforcement case.
Ward councillor Richard Crabb also slammed the building contractors for taking “far too long” to finish the ten-year project.
He said he is “waiting with bated breath” to see if the firm finally returns to clear the debris.
Persimmons South West has insisted it will be returning to the site to remove all waste and has apologised to residents.
A spokesperson for the firm added: “We would like to reassure residents that we have not left the Corelli development and fully intend to complete the site to the highest standard.
“We have agreed a programme of works with a contractor to address the issues highlighted, including the completion of roads, footpaths, public open space and removal of any spoil and waste on site.
“We would like to apologise to residents for any inconvenience caused.”
What are your rights?
All new build homes come with some form of warranty.
Most often, this is a builder warranty of around 10 years, against structural issues, and a shorter developer warranty against issues with fixtures and fittings.
Registered builders are bound by a Consumer Code, which sets out quality standards.
If the house is not complete at the time it was promised, the customer can cancel the purchase, with a full refund of any deposit or reservation fee.
Complaints can be resolved privately with builders/developers in the first instance.
However, if you are not satisfied, there is an independent dispute scheme that can be used within the first three months of receiving the final response to the complaint from the builders.