Residents’ worry as Cambridge newbuild homes due to be razed

Residents of newly-built properties who live close to 36 newbuilds due for demolition because of foundation issues were “worried” about whether their own homes had problems, an owner said.

The developer of the faulty homes in Cambridge’s Darwin Green development said they did not meet high standards.

One resident said they had “experienced a lot of shakings” in their house and some of the pavement had given way.

The developer said it had contacted phase one residents to “reassure them”.

Initial plans to build about 1,500 homes at Darwin Green were agreed in 2015, with plans for the final phase of 210 properties approved in April.

Last week it was revealed 36 unoccupied homes built during the second phase of development, with some having sold signs outside, needed to be demolished because of problems with the foundations.

One resident of the first phase of homes, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC there had been ongoing questions about the foundations because “we have experienced a lot of shakings and some parts of the pavement give way at the front or at the back”.

After it emerged the issues on some phase two homes were down to foundations, the resident said neighbours began to state: “We experienced this, it doesn’t look like our foundation is stable either.

“So we’re all getting quite worried.”

She added: “I don’t have that long-term security and confidence that the property is built to what it should be.

“My question is what have you done differently that’s different from phase one? It’s the same piece of land, we’re just metres apart.”

When contacted by the BBC, the developer – Barratt and David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire – said it has written to all phase one residents “to reassure them that this was an isolated issue with the designs of a new section of the development under construction”.

It said: “An expert independent engineering firm has reviewed the designs of the existing properties and we can offer further reassurance to existing residents that their homes are not affected.”

Speaking of the faulty homes in phase two, it said: “Unfortunately the most effective course of action at this stage is to demolish the properties and rebuild them. We have apologised to the customers affected and understand their frustrations, but we are doing all that we can to lessen the impact of this for them.

“The most important thing is that the homes we build for our customers are of the highest quality possible and this means identifying any mistakes and putting them right, which is what we are doing here.”

On Friday, Labour’s executive councillor for planning and infrastructure at Cambridge City Council, Katie Thornburrow, said its planning and building control officers were meeting the developers “to stress how seriously the council are taking this matter and we will continue to be proactively involved”.

A public meeting is due to be held at Storey’s Field Centre on 29 June, at 19:00 BST.