Anger at state of new Darlington housing development

The new Bellway homes Meadow Rise site in Heighington promises three and four-bedroom homes of “exceptional” quality, with the first being built in 2019, but those living at the site say it is far from what the brochures suggest.

Residents say roads and paths are incomplete, street lights are yet to be turned on, and supposed ‘landscape’ grassland areas have become severely overgrown.

In one recent shocking incident, children were found playing with fire extinguishers left behind my construction workers.

“It’s a hell hole of rubbish, plastic, rusty items and overgrown foliage,” resident Jason Adams said. “People are just fed up.”

Bellway has described it's now homes as "amazing" but residents say the area is currently far from it. Picture: Liberty PR

Rubbish left and strewn across the housing estate. Picture: Jason Groves

Mr Adams moved to Meadow Rise in February 2021 and not a year had passed in his new home before problems around the estate became apparent. Building work temporarily stopped on the site, he says, when Bellway sold all the homes.

“They started building two years ago and they finished in January. They left, fenced off the area slightly and the majority of residents have been emailing customer services and they’ve just said they’ll be going back in the summer.

“That’s all well and good but it’s an absolute health and safety nightmare with plastic and rusty saws down there.

“It came to a peak when some children were found playing with fire extinguishers left behind.”

Fed up with being “fobbed off” and ignored by the housing developer, up to 70 residents on the estate are calling on Bellway to clean up.

“We’ve got a group together who all say we need to get this sorted,” Mr Adams said. “We kept on getting fobbed off and we all agreed to speak to our local councillor who would involve enforcement and health and safety.”

Jason Adams, a Meadow Rise resident

Rusty saws have created a "health and safety nightmare"

Mr Adams moved to Heighington, north of Darlington, as he was impressed by the small village’s charm. He added:  “It’s a lovely village, we’ve got two lovely pubs, a village green, and we want it to be as tidy as the village but it’s not. The entrance to the estate is awful and looks horrendous – it’s all completely overgrown.”

“We’re at the end of our tether. This shouldn’t happen after five months of it going on and on.”

Mr Adams added that officers from Bellway have conveniently partly cleared up and secured the site after being contacted by The Northern Echo.

A spokesman pointed the blame for the delays at itself, Darlington Council and contractor availability.

“Bellway apologises for the delays in completing the final adoption works at Meadow Rise which have been caused by ongoing delays between ourselves, contractor availability and the local authority,” a spokesman said.

“A meeting took place recently to finalise the agreed works and we expect these to start in June. The works will involve kerb remedials which have now been agreed with the LA and final surfacing works.

“We will monitor the works along with the appointed contractor to ensure progress is maintained and will communicate with our residents a completion programme to address all outstanding works once finalised.

“Once the works are complete, the development will be passed to a management company who will be responsible for ongoing maintenance of communal areas on the site. We anticipate that this will be in August.”

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