'Our unfinished estate is like no-man's land'

6 hours ago

Ellen Knightin Shifnal

News image — Gareth Middleton, Tracy Caldwell and Simon Foley said they found the lack of clarity over which organisation was responsible for fixing things on their estates "frustrating"

BBC Photograph of Middleton, Caldwell and Foley stood side by side. They are all looking into the camera with serious expressions. Middleton, who has short grey hair and a short beard, is wearing a black leather jacket with a black quarter-zip underneath. Caldwell, who has long brown hair tied back, is wearing a dark blue winter coat. Foley is wearing a grey fleece. They are standing on a path, with a few houses visible across the grass behind them. The sky is cloudy and overcast. — Gareth Middleton, Tracy Caldwell and Simon Foley said they found the lack of clarity over which organisation was responsible for fixing things on their estates "frustrating"

Residents on two estates have hit out at the developer for leaving roads and paths unfinished, 15 years after the first homes were built.

In all some 350 homes are on the Thomas Beddoes and Scarlett Oaks estates in Shifnal, Shropshire - both built by Taylor Wimpey.

However, residents said some areas were still unsurfaced or in bad repair and most roads still lacked white lines, even at junctions or mini roundabouts, which they said had safety implications.

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said the firm was "committed to resolving the outstanding matters" and are "carrying out the necessary inspections and remedial works".

Simon Foley, who lives on the Scarlett Oaks estate, said he had seen "paths that are unfinished, drainage swales that are clearly blocked, and balancing pools that aren't being maintained".

Supplied Photograph of a brown wooden litter bin, which has small plastic dog waste bags left on top and around the bottom. There is more refuse overflowing from the bin as well. The bin is placed on a patch of grass, with a wooden fence and trees behind it. — Residents said litter bins have been left overflowing

He said the lack of road markings could be a particular issue.

"Everyone's got a story of when they came up against a car on a corner, because especially visitors to the estate, they don't know where they're going," he said.

Foley added that he was particularly frustrated that the developers "don't finish one part of the estate before moving on to their new builds".

Residents have also been campaigning to get the area adopted by the local council.

The developer is responsible for roads, paths, lighting and drainage, but residents are forced to pay a third-party company called FirstPort to maintain the landscaping and park, and empty public bins.

They said the situation meant they were effectively taxed twice for services that should be provided through council tax.

Foley said living on an unadopted estate also meant people did not know who to go to to get problems fixed.

Supplied Photograph of seven people standing outside a new housing development. They are holding a cardboard sign that says "Welcome to Shifnal, we'll adopt you, the council won't" written in black letters. The sky is clear and blue, and there is strong sunshine. — Some residents picketed nearby Taylor Wimpey show homes in protest

Tracey Caldwell has lived on the Thomas Beddoes estate for 10 years, and said her experience with FirstPort had been "a constant battle."

Residents are resorting to emptying bins and fixing park equipment themselves, she said.

Caldwell added that she and other residents had received backdated invoices from FirstPort "when the basics on the estate aren't covered like bins and general maintenance".

She paid £180 last year, but extra bills can appear suddenly, adding that she had "just received another invoice for £45 to be paid in 30 days".

The main question, Caldwell said is "who do we go to?"

She said: "Taylor Wimpey bounces back to the council, the council say it's not their property to deal with, and then FirstPort say it's not within their remit.

"So we're kind of in no-man's land."

Ellen Knight/BBC Close-up photograph of plants growing out of and around a drain on a paved road. The photograph is taken low to the ground, with the road stretching away into the distance. On the right hand side of the road, there are a row of houses, and there is grass and trees beyond the pavement. The sky is cloudy with a few patches of blue. — There are few white road markings around the estates, and some drains have plants growing out of them

The frustration is such that when Taylor Wimpey opened show homes on a nearby new-build estate, residents of Thomas Beddoes and Scarlett Oaks set up a picket line.

"We had a really good, successful day," said Gareth Middleton, a Scarlett Oaks resident who organised the protest.

"We're hoping that something concrete will come out of it," he said, and added, "If not, we'll be back there picketing."

The aim, Middleton said, is for the developers to have "an open dialogue" with residents and give them a timeline for when their streets will be adopted.

"We want that to be in parallel with the council, so [Shropshire Council] are taking ownership and making it clear what they expect Taylor Wimpey to do," he added.

The developers "are going to have to put the money up and get these jobs done," Middleton said.

"How many developers are doing this, where they're building, moving on, building, moving on - and the councils aren't keen on chasing them?"

Ellen Knight/BBC Close-up photograph of a pothole on an unpaved path. The path dark grey and bumpy. To the right is a patch of green grass, and to the left is a house and a white car parked in front of it. — Some roads and paths are developing cracks and potholes

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said they "understand residents' frustration and take their concerns seriously."

The developer added it is "committed to resolving the outstanding matters at both developments," and is "working with the relevant authorities and carrying out the necessary inspections and remedial works."

The spokesperson said: "Adoption is a complex process involving several parties, and the required standards must be met at each stage."

Shropshire Council said in a statement that it was hopeful the adoption of the early stages of development would be completed in the next three to six months.

The spokesperson added that council officers have "recently met with representatives from Taylor Wimpey to progress the adoption of a number of their sites."

Responding to residents' claims that the council wants to avoid providing them with services, the spokesperson said: "The collection of household waste is not restricted by the unadopted status of the road.

"It is therefore considered that, whilst the roads, footways and street lighting are not maintained by Shropshire Council at this time, residents' access to other services is not restricted."

A spokesperson for estate management company FirstPort said they "understand the frustration expressed by residents."

They added they are "reviewing the grounds maintenance arrangements at both developments and have organised a site visit with Taylor Wimpey."

Responding to claims that service charges are increased "at random", the spokesperson said: "The additional charge raised by some residents at Thomas Beddoes Court is understood to relate to a year-end balancing adjustment, where actual expenditure exceeded the amount originally estimated."

The company added that it remains "committed to working with residents and the developer to address outstanding concerns."

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