Hopefully some good news for future developments!!!

here is an extract from a speech in the House of Commons.

New Roads (Adoption)

House of Commons debates, 10 June 2010, 5:42 pm

Norman Baker (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Regional and Local Transport), Transport; Lewes, Liberal Democrat)

In exploring solutions to this issue, I am happy to say that I have today asked my officials to consider, with their Department for Communities and Local Government colleagues, options for legislation, including empowering local authorities to require developers to enter into section 38 agreements.

Read the full question and reply here

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2010-06-10d.571.0

Adoption of new roads debated

At least one MP seems to have understood that we have a national issue that needs to be addressed.

By Richard Chidwick – 24th June 2010

Safety concerns about unadopted roads in Hertfordshire have been raised during a debate in Westminster Hall.

Anne Main (Con, St Albans) led the debate on Wednesday, focusing on the “tens of thousands” of unadopted roads in England and Wales built on new developments.

Once a new road is adopted it becomes “a highway maintainable at public expense”.

However new roads in new housing developments are under the ownership of the developer before being handed over to the county council.

She told MPs: “Worryingly, residents are frequently unaware of the status of their road until they try to consult their council about a problem.

“The people who live on them often struggle to access public services and to meet the maintenance costs for which they are personally liable.”

More importantly, these roads materially inconvenience residents, creating an unfair situation in which householders pay significant amounts of council tax for services that they do not receive.

Main drew attention to a Hertfordshire hospital whose staff disapprove with the number of patients who park in unadopted roads and avoid hospital car park charges.

Concerns include those children living on the roads are at risk from the increased volume of traffic.

Hertfordshire county council have advised that road adoption should be extended to all parties and ways to deal with the problem could include sign posts to identify unadopted roads.

Transport minister Norman Baker expressed sympathy for Main’s cause, but said that no national survey had been carried out to investigate whether residents wanted their roads to be adopted, and said that to do so would be costly.

He explained how some developers fail to bring roads up to a standard acceptable for adoption.

Baker advised how a survey would reveal a number of roads which would never be suitable for adoption.

The minister highlighted a specimen survey of 600 private streets, it revealed 63 roads were suitable for adoption and only 17 participants wanted their roads adopted.

Main responded by suggesting local authorities could be “the way forward”, to solve the problems and Baker agreed with this less costly approach.

Speaking after the debate, Main suggested there would be some form of legislation passed to address the issue of unadopted roads.

See the original article here; and please feel free to comment too:

http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/adoption-of-new-roads-debated/

Follow the progress of another Estate with Adoption Issues

The following link is to a forum which is tracking the progress of road and sewer adoption in Westfield Park Cardiff after the collapse of Coftons.  There are lessons to learn from this for our own predicament.  In particular I was impressed with the co-operation of the councillors and the county council in the whole process – this is something we have not yet achieved here and I hope our councillor will take note!

http://www.wfpcardiff.co.uk/wfp/viewforum.php?f=20

Middlewich councillor slams Barratt Homes’ ‘appalling management’ over problem sewer

A MIDDLEWICH councillor has slammed a housing company for its ‘appalling management’ following complaints about foul sewage pipes on White Park Close.

Barratt Homes resident David Elgar contacted Clr Chalky White, of Middlewich Town Council, after becoming fed up with no one taking responsibility for his drains.

Mr Elgar, who has lived on White Park Close for 12 years, discovered that United Utilities has not adopted the drainage systems, which has caused untold problems.

He said: “After contacting Barratt Homes, a third party did eventually come out.

“Having lifted the sewer covers near to my property and in other locations on the estate, the full extent of the problem was exposed.

“He found that the sewer drains were full and not draining and he was unable to remedy the problem. I am still waiting for a resolution.”

United Utilities is unable to adopt the drains as Barratt Homes has not yet passed on the appropriate plans and documents to the water giant.

Mr Edgar added: “Why are no checks made on the finer details that make such a difference to the lives of the people who live in the houses?”

The White Park Close resident has also been left wondering why he has to pay for sewerage charges.

Helen Wilson, of United Utilities, said: “All newly built sewers have to be handed over by the developer to the water company in a process called adoption.

“This is a formal quality control process to make sure the sewers have been built correctly.

“Barratts has never completed the adoption process, so the sewers are still their responsibility to maintain.

“However, it is right that the customer pays sewerage charges, because his wastewater is being taken away and treated by United Utilities.”

Clr White added: “My question to Barratt Homes is what the hell has kept them? Why has this not been done years ago?

“It’s appalling management to allow a situation where the premier supplier of utilities is not allowed to deal with the drainage systems as they do not have the necessary documents to take ownership of it.

“The current owners have been dragging their feet and need their heads banging together to sort it out.”

But Neil Goodwin, managing director of Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “It has only recently come to the attention of Barratts Manchester that the sewers remain unadopted.

“There has been one incident of the sewers flooding which Barratts Manchester acted on quickly to resolve.

“Barratts Manchester immediately informed United Utilities of the problem and rectified the flooding of the upstream sewers.

“We are now liasing with United Utilties to have the sewers adopted as soon as possible.”

Find the original article here:

http://www.middlewichguardian.co.uk/news/4422755.Anger_as_problem_sewer_remains_unadopted/

Taylor Wimpey it seems can’t finish any development properly

Shoreham residents anger at unfinished estate

Angry residents living in a plush housing development have demanded action to fix a series of problems with their estate.
Sussex Wharf, a development of 290 homes in Shoreham, has been hit with issue after issue since work finished on the site about three years ago.

The residents’ association has written to Adur District Council outlining the problems locals have experienced.

They include unfinished roads, poor parking, access problems for emergency services, overflowing bins, faulty street and internal lighting, exposed cabling and unfinished drainage works.

In one instance a small child fell down a drain that was left open. The emergency services could not get to the boy because of access problems with the road.

When permission was granted for Sussex Wharf back in 2004, the developer promised to build two play areas, a doctors’ surgery and a pharmacist.

The plans included the construction of a block of offices.

However only one play area has been completed and the offices have been left unfinished.

Adur district councillors Liza McKinney and Robert Dunn and MP Tim Loughton have all been involved in discussions with developer Taylor Wimpey to sort the problems out.

Coun McKinney said: “When I walked around it I couldn’t believe the things that hadn’t been done.

“There was a hole, obviously a waste bit, where there was no lid and a child had fallen down it.

“The emergency crews then had to knock on doors to get people to move their cars because no parking markings had been laid out.”

Fiona Ferguson, the secretary of the Sussex Wharf Residents’ Association, said: “There is someone from Taylor Wimpey coming here at the end of August for a site visit and we are going to look at the issues such as the communal lighting.

“We are hoping that through this site visit most of the issues will be resolved and this is all because of the pressure from the MP and the councillors.”

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: “We are aware of the issues surrounding the unfinished roads at our Shoreham Harbour development and as a result we are currently working to get this resolved as soon as possible.”

Planning officers from Adur District Council are due to meet with Taylor Wimpey to discuss the missing offices, play area and surgery.

Find the original article here

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4550383.Shoreham_residents_anger_at_unfinished_estate/

10 years before you can resell your Barratt Home?

It seems we are not alone in our struggle to get developers to do what we have paid for. Please feel free to post any other stories you find.

Families call for fair deal

By Dave Knapper Dave.Knapper@Thesentinel.Co.Uk

FRUSTRATED residents say house prices on their estate are being hit because a council refuses to adopt the area.

Families living on the 350-home Bankeyfield Estate in Tunstall say they are not receiving “the minimum service” from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, despite paying more than £100 a month per household in council tax.

Neither the authority or Severn Trent Water have any responsibility for the area since it was built a decade ago.

Chairman of the Bankeyfield Residents’ Association Steve Barrow, aged 49, of Mustang Close, said: “If it’s not adopted the council don’t have to do any maintenance work like the roads or the sewers.

“We all pay both our water rates and council tax and we are not getting the same service that people get elsewhere in the city.

“The estate is 10 years old now and cracks are appearing on roads and pavements, yet we don’t have anyone to turn to.

“For the money we pay, we aren’t even getting the minimum service.”

Families say house-buyers are being put off the estate because they are pre-warned it isn’t adopted.

Andrew Bagnall, aged 29, of Hurricane Grove, said: “By adopting the estate we could be involved in policies and schemes the council plans to introduce.

“It would also make it easier for my neighbours to sell their homes and make me feel more confident in buying and selling on this estate in the future.”

Dominic Rimmington, aged 32, and wife Rachel, aged 35, have lived on William Coltman Way for seven years.

Rachel said: “We pay our council tax and only have the bins collected.

“A lot of people are concerned about their house prices.”

Dominic added: “The park was a wasteland until the residents funded it.

“We just want to see some value for the £127 we pay a month on council tax.”

Dozens of people attended a residents’ association meeting last night and a petition was started.

Treasurer Matt Burke, of John Rhodes Way, added: “The worst thing is houses aren’t selling because of it.”

The city council says it is ready to adopt the area, but cannot do so until a wrangle over drainage is sorted.

Phil Crossland, the authority’s director of planning and transportation, said: “We are waiting on the outcome of negotiations between certain developers and landowners regarding drainage of the site.

“Until this happens, Severn Trent Water are unwilling to adopt the sewers.

“It is standard practice for a local authority not to adopt a road until the sewers underneath have been adopted themselves. We are waiting for this to happen before we proceed.”

A spokesman for Severn Trent said: “Severn Trent cannot adopt the network until we receive an official request via the planners/developers to do so, and we will only adopt them once we’ve inspected the pipes and are satisfied that they have been laid to the appropriate high standards.”

Barratt Homes was the developer on the Heritage Park side when the estate was built.

See the original article here

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Families-fair-deal/article-2561426-detail/article.html