Walter Brown and Sharon Kelly moved into a four-bedroom detached house at the Church View development, in Callerton, in December 2022 – but it’s not what they hoped for
Moving into a new build property should be an exciting time, filled with the promise of a fantastic location and low maintenance costs. However, for couple Walter Brown and Sharon Kelly, their move to a four-bedroom detached home in Balsam Way, Callerton, in December 2022, has been marred by an unexpected “eyesore” visible from their window.
The house, part of the Ashberry Homes Church View development, set them back £358,000. But now, they regret their investment due to a “wasteland” and an “eyesore” at the end of their cul-de-sac, known as the SUDs.
Walter, a 57 year old employee of Newcastle City Council, has been voicing his concerns about the state of the sustainable drainage systems, or SUDs, to the developers since moving in, but feels his complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Speaking to Chronicle Live, Walter lamented: “It’s like landfill, it’s got mattresses buried in there, there’s rubble in there. We’ve emailed, we’ve been on the phone, we’ve chased it and we’re getting nowhere.
Walter continued: “The developers say the site has been used by fly-tippers to dispose of waste illegally, and that sub-contractors have been appointed to clean up the site. However, they did not give a date on when this would start.
Walter is at the end of his tether over the lack of action, lamenting: “The tears my partner’s had, we’ve looked forward to living in a new home for quite a few years.The outlook is horrendous, it really is. We’ve paid a fortune for this house.
“The bloke revealed that despite an assurance from a Bellway executive about eight weeks back promising a spruce up, they’re still waiting, with less than two weeks until Christmas and no sign of any works starting. The 57 year old has raised a plethora of issues including absent road signs, holes” in the street outside his home, unfinished tarmacking, and he mentioned that street lights have only popped up “in the last three months”, all problems aired by ChronicleLive with Ashberry’s parent company, Bellway.
Walter contrasted his own neglected sprawl with the adjacent Bellway estate, venting: “You walk around the corner onto Bellway’s estate and it’s all flat, and it’s done to the standard that we thought we were buying into. ” Chagrin has overcome the couple, so much so they rue their decision to leave Chapel Park’s established, well-maintained stomping ground, with Walter confessing: “It’s just really nice around there and we wish we had stayed on the estate and bought another house there now, that’s what it’s come to, reports Wales Online.
Bellway, which steers the ship for Ashberry homes, hit back with an official statementl: “Bellway has been working to address the concerns of residents relating to the land which has been used by fly-tippers to dispose waste illegally. Our divisional teams have been on site and sub-contractors have been appointed to clean up the site and undertake landscaping works to improve the area concerned.
“SUDs is an area which is a natural surface water drainage area and is designed to provide a natural area within the development. During the winter months, growth dies back and can look unsightly, so we are arranging to tidy up this area.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.