Devon families raging over newbuild dream homes ‘nightmare’

Fed-up families at a new-build estate in Tiverton say they are plagued with broken promises of a new road and play area – and daddy longlegs are eating up their gardens. Homeowners snapped up properties at the 248-dwelling Barratt David Wilson Homes estate off Post Hill when they went on sale in 2019, with construction taking place in the years after.

However, with some now living in their house for just a few years, they say their new home dreams have turned into a nightmare.

One of the biggest issues is a road to link the Braid Park estate to Post Hill via another new estate being completed by Burrington Estates. Currently, the only access from Tiverton to the estate is via the narrow Putson Lane alongside Tiverton Golf Club.

Read more: M5 driver stunned after being hit by Clean Air Zone fines

In May, Barratt David Wilson wrote to homeowners to tell them there would be further unexpected delays saying: “Unfortunately, during the works, we have incurred some unexpected delays due to a concern over the level of which the play park and link path has been constructed. This has meant a delay in the opening and completion of works on the development until an independent surveyor can attend and confirm that the level is now safe for us to continue.

“If the surveyor were to find any reason we cannot proceed, then additional works will be required, and we will update residents once we have confirmation.

“As we wait for the results of the independent surveyor, Road Form is not going to finish the topping of the main roads or footpaths, as additional works may be required following the inspection, and all works should be completed at one time.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused, and please feel assured Barratt David Wilson Homes are working with our contractor to ensure the safety of all who live on the development.”

Another issue is the opening of a play area which residents say had been promised to them before Easter.

Recently elected to Tiverton Town Council, Rebecca Clarke said that during the local election campaign, she was surprised at how many people had issues with their homes.

“We were promised a road to connect our estate to the main road, but what we are currently having to use is unacceptable,” she said. “The road at Putson Lane has been dogged with problems, and while a temporary fix has been carried out after motorists were forced to drive close to the hedgerows to avoid the potholes, it is still unsuitable, and damage to the road continues.

“Another issue is the play area. We have been promised a safe place for our children to play. As a mother with a young child, I would like nothing more than to be able to have a safe space for our young people.”

One of her main issues was the state of her garden. She said: “With a young family and dog, we would love nothing more than to be able to sit outside in the garden, put a nice rug on the grass, and let my son play.

“However, advice from friends and farmers, has said there is no topsoil and that leatherjackets are eating away at any chance we may have to plant the seeds to let the lawn grow successfully.

“Last summer, the team re-laid the grass but due to the heatwave and the leatherjackets, the garden has returned to a dry hard surface and not the picture-perfect garden you see in the sales brochures. I will do anything to avoid putting down artificial grass, which is unsuitable for the environment and not ideal for the dog and children.

“Barratt meanwhile has confirmed in writing they will not take further action, which should act as a warning to anyone wishing to purchase a property on this estate, or with this developer, in the future.”

Another resident Matt Dodd added: “We bought these houses in good faith, knowing that there’d be a decent roadway through. Many of us have children, and we’re finding the current entry and exit dangerous. It feels that we are being held to ransom for some political reason. There’s no reason whatsoever why that can’t be filled. It’d be safer; it’s what we were promised in the first place.

“As far as the kids’ playground is concerned, they need somewhere to play. Right now, we’ve got very few ways of getting out of the estate onto the main road without going along a tractor-ridden pothole-covered hole road and nowhere for the kids to play, and it’s a downright disgrace.”

Mr Dodd also had artificial grass put into his garden due to problems with his garden. He added: “There isn’t the right drainage for the grass they laid originally, which was full of leatherjackets and big daddy longlegs. Barratts redid the whole thing, and it didn’t work, so we just had to put artificial grass in.”

One of the youngsters of the estate, who goes to Halberton Primary School, Josh Draper, said: “I’d love to see a play area here for us as there isn’t much to do at the moment, and we’ve been promised one would open before Easter.

“Also, getting to school is close enough to walk, but it’s far from safe enough to walk to.”

His father, James Draper, continued: “Getting out of the estate is unsafe. Getting Josh to school or taking the dog to the canal, you must avoid the potholes and tractors to try and get anywhere near the main road.

“We understood when we bought the house that the traffic wouldn’t be going past our property, but at the moment, it’s the main thoroughfare, and we’re disturbed by it. The cars go too fast past our house. We bought it because we wouldn’t have that amount of traffic.”

“As for our boys, we want to keep them entertained and encourage them to play outside, but there’s nothing for them to do, and we can’t send them to our other nearest play area because it is not safe to get to.

“We’ve been waiting for a play area, but nothing seems to be happening. They put some items there but are far from ready.”

On his garden situation, he added: “It constantly needs maintenance, but we’ve managed to keep it with some strong perseverance. There’s not much topsoil, so the grass constantly needs feeding to keep it in a decent state.

“It’s incredibly frustrating, particularly considering they went to the effort of turfing it, but it’s like they’ve laid it on the rubble.”

A spokesperson for Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter said: “We are very sorry for the delays in completing the path and link road from Braid Park to Post Hill, which we now hope to finish around the end of June. We are also working closely with Burrington Estates and the play space representatives to agree an installation date as soon as possible.

“Regarding leatherjackets, these pests, unfortunately, are a natural occurrence which are attracted to new gardens with fresh turf. We have investigated a few specific residents’ gardens where there has been evidence that they hadn’t been installed to our usual high quality, for which we apologised and promptly made improvements.”

READ NEXT:

Man armed with hammer making threats in Exmouth town centre

American YouTubers left questioning everything after visiting Tesco in Devon

Man dies after emergency services called to Budleigh Salterton coastline

The Chase star Mark Labbett ‘dating’ TV presenter Hayley Palmer

Driver spots big cat as ‘tall as Land Rover’s headlights’