Ripon man’s five-year quest to trace the moneyBoroughbridge couple’s three-year new build nightmare

A Boroughbridge family has been left in limbo for three years after ongoing problems with a new build property.

Chris and Katie Eve bought the house on Hockley Croft estate in December 2019.

But they still have items stored in a shipping container outside because of unresolved issues.

The new build estate, constructed by Harron Homes, consists of eight properties.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Mr Eve said his family, which includes two young children, had looked forward to leaving Harrogate for a new home in Boroughbridge.

He said:

“We moved there because we wanted something slightly more rural.

“We liked the development itself and thought it would be good for the kids.”

Lack of insulation

But numerous problems, particularly with the insulation, has led to a three-year nightmare, including the couple having to store clothes and belongings in shipping containers on their drive. Other properties on the estate also have to use containers.

The Eves’ garage ceiling has been taken down four times because of problems with the insulation and fire board, and damp has also been found in the property.

Mr Eve said the couple could “see their own breath” in the front room because of the cold temperature, and had endured “countless” other problems, including uneven bedroom floors and roof trusses being weathered and warped.

Site managers from Harron, council building control and customer service managers have been to the property to inspect the property.

Read more:

On two occasions, the family have had to move items stored in the garage into shipping containers — the latest container has been there for a year.

The couple said they are still waiting for Harron to fix the problems and, as a result, have been forced to employ their own structural engineer to look at the house.

Currently, they are staying in the living area above their garage. But despite the ongoing problems, Mr Eve said the family is determined to make the house work.

He said:

“We like the location and we get on really well with the people around us.

“I do not feel like we should move because Harron would buy it off us and sell it off with the same issues.”

Harron Homes response

The Stray Ferret approached Harron Homes for a response to the complaints made by the family.

Tony Lee, managing director for Harron Homes Yorkshire, said:

“Harron Homes prides itself on creating quality homes so we are disappointed that we’ve not reached that standard on Hockley Croft in the past.

“We are currently working with a small number of residents to agree start dates and convenient times to rectify defects. We are committed to resolving matters as swiftly as possible and I am confident that our operations are robust, and our teams have the resources to deliver the service and quality I expect for our customers.”

Heavy rain raises flooding fears at new Boroughbridge housing estate

A few days of heavy rain and snowmelt has exposed a flooding issue at a new housing estate in Boroughbridge.

Residents on Hockley Croft noticed flood water creeping onto the north side of the estate earlier this week, which soon turned into a small river.

Yesterday morning some woke up to a wider problem. What had been driveways and a park for children to play had become a lake of water.

Read more:

Residents claim the developers, Harron Homes, had not mentioned the possibility of flooding and also claim council surveys failed to raise the issue.

This week saw some very heavy rain but some Boroughbridge residents fear their homes could be flooded if the weather is more severe in future.

We spoke to some of the residents on the estate who wanted to raise the issue anonymously.

Some had spent around £300,000 to more than £600,000 for a brand new house. They told the Stray Ferret:

“When the searches were done this wasn’t listed as a floodplain, there were no flooding issues raised. I guess that water is from the excess rain and maybe a lack of drainage.

“The flood water is quite close to the house. We don’t want these problems every time it rains.

“The weather has not really been much worse than normal so the drainage needs to be sorted out.”

A second person, who has lived on the estate for 18 months, also told the Stray Ferret:

“The flood water is running like the river near our house. Last night we were really scared, we thought the water was going to come up to our house.

“We weren’t warned about the flooding issues so it was a bit of a shock really.

“Funnily enough we have had to gravel our garden because it is so wet. It was like a flood in our garden last winter, so we had to dig it all up and re-do it all again.”

A spokespers​on for Harron Homes Yorkshire said:

“There has been unprecedented rainfall from Storm Christoph that has impacted many previously unaffected parts of the country.

“The adjacent open land at our Hockley Croft development in Boroughbridge has passed water on to the site which we are investigating with the land owner.

“We have helped our customers affected by the water from the fields by deploying a pump that has reduced the water levels and the situation is now under control with very little consequence and inconvenience to our customers.”

In the planning application from a couple of years ago Harrogate Borough Council said it had concerns about the surface water discharge rates.

“The applicant has stated that surface water from the proposed development is to be discharged directly to the River Ure via an attenuation pond.

“However they have not indicated how this will be achieved.

“Nevertheless the Environment Agency is responsible for administering surface water discharge from the new development to Milby Cut.”

A spokesperson for the council also told the Stray Ferret:

“Proposed development sites may need to carry out a flood risk assessment.

“A risk assessment, carried out by specialists, was considered as part of the planning process for this site.

“Relevant consultees raised no objections to its conclusions or proposed mitigation measures it contained.”

 

More homes added to major Ripon scheme

Harrogate councillors have recommended that more homes are added to a major housing scheme in Ripon.

Harrogate Borough Council’s Planning Committee met virtually on Zoom and agreed to defer the building of 14 new homes at Bishops Glade to the chief planner for approval.

131 homes were approved by HBC in 2017 and building at the site is currently underway.

Developer Harron Homes sought to build an extra 14 homes and change the mix of housing to include more affordable housing and more four-bedroom homes.

Read more:

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the developer, agent Mark Beevers said the new four-bedroom homes were needed as “demand has fluctuated.”

Speaking against the proposals, Cllr Robert Windass said the number of four-bedroom homes already being built on the site is “over the top” and “all about profit for the developer.”

He added:

“They are not concerned about the mix as long as they get a maximum yield for the site”.

Cllr Pat Marsh said she was concerned at the affordable housing mix on the site and felt there are “ghettos” being built.

She also criticised the sustainable credentials of a plastic slide in the children’s play-area.

She said:

“As a council that says we want to get rid of single-use plastic within two years, that slide has to be metal. We’re not addressing the issues that are paramount to our world and looking at sustainability.”

However, HBC housing officer John Worthington reminded committee members that they were not there to “look at the site afresh” and planning permission has already been granted for the majority of the site.

Committee members voted in favour of the motion to defer and recommend for approval to the chief planner by six votes to five, with one abstention.