RESIDENTS of Callaway Gardens in Westbury say they feel “let down” by their housing developer Backhouse Housing for not meeting deadlines to fix the road surface in the estate which residents say has caused damage to their vehicles.
The road in the estate had raised manholes covers and drains, potholes and broken road surfaces, which, residents say, have caused damage to tyres and suspension, but Backhouse has told residents that they are not accepting any liability for the damages.
Work to fix the road started this Monday, but some residents who have been dealing with the poor-quality road surface for over a year say they are “outraged” over the handling of this by the developer who, they say, did not honour previously stated deadlines.
A resident of the estate, who wishes to remain anonymous, says, “We and many residents have been let down time and time again by Backhouse, not only by deadlines for the final road but major structural defects due to poor quality control. We have had to endure these disgraceful conditions for a very long time.
“The cracks in the roads and raised ironworks have prematurely worn residents’ tyres and suspension for well over a year now.”
The resident had written to the developer to raise concerns that tyres were at risk of damage due to the sharp edges of the raised defects in the road. When their one-month-old tyre prematurely wore out, the resident asked for reimbursement but Backhouse refused to accept any liability and said there was, “No direct evidence” that they were at fault.
The resident continued, “We have been given many dates that have come and gone regarding the roads. We moved into the development in 2021, and to be honest it has not been a good experience. We really feel let down by Backhouse as we have had to endure a lot since being here.
“Over the last two years we have been extremely inconvenienced by the various remedy works that have taken place. The tyres on our car have been replaced more times than normal and finally after I had advised them that the raised ironworks looked dangerous, my one-month-old tyre split.”
The resident also says that their disappointment with Backhouse is not limited to the road surface, as rooms have been flooded due to an incorrect installation of drip trays which resulted in seven months of mould build-up, as well as rubbish stuffed in wall cavities.
The resident summarised, “They are beautiful houses, but we have concerns over the quality of the build due to what we have seen and experienced since moving in.”
Westbury Town Council previously wrote to the developer to put pressure on them to fix the state of the roads at the request of cllr Gordon King.
Backhouse has been approached for comment.
