36 newbuilds in Cambridgeshire to be demolished over 'faulty foundations'
The houses are unlived in
Last updated 12th Jun 2023
A public meeting has been called after a developer confirmed some of its newbuild houses at the Darwin Green development will need to be demolished.
One councillor said people’s “lives and dreams” had been “shattered” after reports that 36 properties would need to be knocked down due to foundation issues.
The developer, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire, said there was a “small number” of affected homes, which "did not meet its usual high standards".
A spokesperson said the homes were currently unoccupied, and that it had apologised to the people affected.
Initial plans to build around 1,500 homes at Darwin Green development were agreed in 2013, with subsequent more detailed applications for the phases coming forward over the following years.
Plans for the the final phase of 210 homes were approved back in April, when concerns were raised by some councillors that the developer was “falling behind” with compliance with some planning conditions on previous phases of the development.
A public meeting has now been organised for the “Darwin Green foundation issues and others”, on June 29, and will be held at the Storey’s Field Centre from 7pm to 9pm.
Councillor Cheney Payne (Liberal Democrat), said she “almost did not believe it at first” that 36 homes would need to be demolished.
She said: “There needs to be an independent inquiry into what has happened, and residents deserve reassurance on what is going to happen next.”
Councillor Antoinette Nester (Labour) said she echoed these calls for an independent review of the development process.
She said: “Although these houses are empty, residents in phase one of the development have already moved in, leaving them wondering if their properties also face the same issue. People’s lives and dreams suddenly become shattered.
“This represents a broader slap in the face to anyone trying to buy their first home in Cambridge.
“We’re desperately short of houses, and developers like Barratt David Wilson can’t even seem to do it properly.
"The most effective course of action at this stage is to demolish the properties and rebuild them."
Cllr Nester said she also wanted to see the developer pay the “full costs of the redevelopment work” and offer “necessary compensation to residents”.
Councillor Simon Smith (Labour), said the demolition was a “terrible waste”, and was “even more shocking” due to the “widely known issues with the plasticity of soil conditions in the area”.
The executive councillor for planning and infrastructure at Cambridge City Council, Councillor Katie Thornburrow (Labour), said: “Residents of new homes should be able to relax and enjoy them without worrying about major construction issues like faulty foundations or having to cope with the disturbance caused by demolition and construction.
“Finding out that newly built homes have to be re-built is deeply concerning. Not only must nearby residents be kept fully informed, but it is imperative that the soundness of their own homes is confirmed at the earliest opportunity.
“Our planning and building control officers are meeting with the developers to stress how seriously the council are taking this matter and we will continue to be proactively involved. I will be kept informed by officers and will meet with residents.”
A spokesperson for Barratt and David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire, said: “As a five-star housebuilder, we have an extensive quality assurance process and during inspections, we found that a small number of unoccupied properties at our Darwin Green development did not meet our usual high standards.
“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.”