On Friday 17th February, residents received a letter stating that these ground works will commence on Monday 20th February. Maypine Construction Limited has been appointed to undertake this work and current estimates are that it will take 10-12 weeks to complete. The reaction to the media coverage appears to have caused a step change in attitude from the developers, and the forum is delighted that our collective effort appears to have achieved the objective for the first part of our campaign. Residents have already reported a flurry of activity in the area with many posts on Facebook suggesting that work could be starting very soon. We are aware from other sources that the Development Control Inspector for Cambridgeshire County Council has been working closely with Barratt Homes & Taylor Wimpey in the last few days to prepare the outline works required to bring the roads and paths up to adoption standard.

From first hand experience we can report that on Monday morning 13th February, a group of 6 men in fluorescent builders’ jackets were gathered around the bonnet of a car looking at some road plans. When asked if they were anything to do with proposals to finish the roads on Home Farm estate, they confirmed that was precisely why they were there. One of the group said he was “The Development Control Inspector” for Cambridge County Council and explained that the other men were from the contractors hired by Barratt to complete the roads and paths in Stevensons Road and Duddle Drive, ready for subsequent adoption by the County Council. He said that their task was to help the contractors price the works required.

On Wednesday 15th February, a member of the Forum spoke to the workmen cleaning the drains on Duddle Drive and Stevensons Road and was told that they had been hired to clean the drains, as a preliminary to resurfacing the roads. They confirmed that all the broken curb stones marked in blue will be replaced by new ones when the resurfacing is being carried out.

It is now an exciting time for Home Farm residents, and we’re hoping to continue to build on the strength of community spirit that has developed around this issue and leverage our network to help improve facilities, eventually, across the whole of Home Farm. Long may this spirit continue and in the meantime we keep our fingers crossed that the roads will be completed in time for a Jubilee full on “trip free and hazard free” street party!

Home Farm Forum

Here is a PDF file of the centre spread and the text of the article is shown below:  LL_Feb

Home Farm residents’ protest

On Monday 2nd January, over one hundred residents on the Home Farm development here in Longstanton came together to protest about the lack of progress in completing their roads and paths. They united to send a very clear message to Barratt Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon (their developers) and their local politicians, local authorities, planning authorities and Councils, that you’ve all let us down and we won’t tolerate this any longer.

It has been over five years since residents first started purchasing homes on Home Farm, which currently has around two hundred or more houses on the development. The developers left the site in 2009, but without completing the roads and infrastructure that they had been paid to do.

The worst of the problem is evident on Stevensons Road and Duddle Drive where the roads and paths have not even been completed, and are now showing obvious signs of deterioration, and as a result trip hazards are increasing daily. It is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

While the roads remain unadopted, the developers are responsible for maintaining the development as stated in residents’ contracts. Let’s not forget that our contracts and deeds state quite clearly that the developers will as a condition of our purchase bring the roads, sewers and footpaths up to an adoptable standard (top coat) and not just to a base coat level. They will also maintain the roads, footpaths, sewers, open spaces and local play areas (LAPS) until such time as the roads, sewers and open spaces are adopted by the appropriate body or Council.

As things currently stand, the Councils have no responsibility for the roads and paths, although we are paying a portion of our Council tax towards our street maintenance.

As a consequence of this, our homes are becoming harder to sell as prospective buyers are advised against purchasing on this site.

The residents have been concerned about the number of prospective buyers that have been put off from buying houses on the development. We are well aware of residents who have had to drop thousands of pounds off the value of their homes or have seen contracts fall through at the very last moment. What is happening is really upsetting because this is a really close, proud community that can’t quite believe this has been allowed to happen.

The show of support on Monday was a strong message to the developers, councillors and local authorities, that this problem needs to be resolved very quickly. People need to be aware of the potential issues of buying new homes, or recently developed houses where the roads are incomplete or have not been adopted as this is happening on a local and national scale.

For residents of Longstanton who are unfamiliar with the current road adoption situation on Home Farm here are some of the key facts as we understand them:

• The ground works across all of the Home Farm Development have not been adopted. Arguably residents are therefore paying council tax for services they do not receive (such as road maintenance, street lighting, general upkeep of the area, etc.) which seems very unfair.
• Cofton’s were subcontracted and paid by Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey to complete the roads several years ago on Duddle Drive & Stevensons Road but the company went into administration.
• Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey are contractually bound to complete the roads as continually reminded by residents’ solicitors. It is the developers’ problem that they paid Cofton’s and is something they shouldn’t be using as an excuse not to complete the roads in Home Farm.
• Unfortunately, no bond or guarantee (referred to as a Section 38) was requested by South Cambridgeshire District Council as a condition of development, which is why the Council is unable to complete the “ground works” in the advent of a developer going into administration. However, Cambridge County Council would waive the inspection charges to facilitate adoption as we understand to make the process less costly for the developer.
• As of 1st October 2011, the sewers are now the responsibility of Anglian Water, which was originally another key issue as to why the roads could not be adopted. This will now also reduce costs to complete the adoption of the roads.

The residents formed the Home Farm Forum to act as a collective voice to raise awareness of the issues we are facing as well as coordinate a clear plan of action to resolve them. For more information and regular email updates about this campaign, or to get involved go to http://homefarmforum.wordpress.com. For those on facebook join the “Home Farm Forum” group also to discuss and react to the developments as they happen.

We really hope that Barratt Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon, the local politicians, local authorities, planning authorities and Councils understand now how important this issue is to us as they continue to develop in our area. There really can be no more excuses. The roads need to be adopted as soon as possible. People are fed up with the talking and are demanding action now!

Key points:

• Works start week commencing 20th February 2012
• Approx duration 10-12 weeks
• Maypine Construction Ltd have been appointed to complete the works (contact no. 0193362844)

Full details in the PDF file:  Barratt_17Feb

Cambridgeshire_Breakfast_with_Jeremy_Sallis

The first section talking with the residents is at 1:23 into the recording; the second interview is at 2:22.  There were also mentions of  Home Farm in the hourly news slots.  This link will cease to work in about 7 days.

Once it is available an i-player link will be added to allow those who miss the event to listen in again.

Please make sure you return these in the next 10 days to 51 Duddle Drive.

Also, please subscribe to this Forum so that you are alerted to new posts and information regarding the General Meeting planned for March 2012.  Click the “Sign me up” button on the right.

Copies of the letters are attached for others on the estate to read.

Intro – Letters of Complaint v2

General Letter to Wimpey v2

General Letter to Barratts v2

general letter to Andrew Lansley MP v2

Persimmon Letter

Wimpey Letter

Barratt Letter

Sewer Adoption

More information is available at www.anglianwater.co.uk/sewerswitchover

One consequence of the change is that from 2014 everyone’s bill will have to rise by a small amount.

Please lets all complete the survey and tell them what we think.

You can find the corporate plan here:
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/documents/retrieve.htm?pk_document=910952

and the survey is here;
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ThreeAs2012