Echo Comment on incomplete Darlington estates | The Northern Echo


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Key Issues in Darlington Housing Developments

Multiple homebuilding firms in Darlington, England are facing criticism for leaving housing estates incomplete, causing significant delays and disappointing homebuyers. The article highlights cases where buyers have waited for extended periods, from 2 to 10 years, for their homes to be finished, despite paying considerable sums.

Affected Builders and Locations

Three firms are implicated: Keepmoat (Central Park, 10-year delay), Story Homes (Blackwell, 5-year delay), and an unnamed firm in Hurworth (2-year delay for incomplete paths).

Reasons for Delays and Concerns

Story Homes attributes the Blackwell delays to unspecified “unforeseen technical challenges and ecological requirements.” The article raises several crucial concerns:

  • Poor customer service from the builders.
  • The potential for widespread incompletion across Darlington's numerous housing developments.
  • The apparent lack of sufficient oversight from planning officials and building standards personnel.

Proposed Solution

The article suggests that developers should be required to provide substantial bonds to the council before commencing construction, ensuring funds are available to complete projects if developers fail to do so.

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Three different firms are implicated, so rather than this being one rogue builder, there seems to be a deeper malaise. It looks as if the builders are happy to take the money but then drag their feet when it comes to completing the job – at Central Park, Keepmoat have kept house-buyers waiting for 10 years.

In Blackwell, they’ve been waiting five years – despite paying at least £525,000 for their new homes – and in Hurworth, paths are still incomplete after two years.

Story Homes, at Blackwell, blame "unforeseen technical challenges and ecological requirements" for the delays, without specifying what these might be.

There are many serious points here. Firstly, homebuyers have mortgaged themselves up to the hilt only to be left disappointed – this is terrible customer service from the builders and it would not be acceptable in any other line of business.

Secondly, there are literally thousands of homes going up around Darlington – are they all going to be left incomplete?

And then, thirdly, where are the planning officials and building standards people who are supposed to protect the public?

Perhaps developers should be forced to pay a substantial bond to the council before a shovel goes in the ground so that if the development is not completed as stipulated in the planning permission, the council can use the bond to complete the job.

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