Council urged to step in over 'unfinished' estate

Large sections of fencing have been left up, according to residents

A council is being urged to step in after a developer failed to finish work on a housing estate.

Piles of building rubble, unfinished pavements and incomplete street-lighting were just some of the issues reported by residents at the Corelli estate in Sherborne, Dorset.

Persimmon Homes previously apologised, promising to deal with the problems on the 344-house site.

But Sherborne councillor Richard Crabb said he had been lobbying for the developer to finish the estate for more than a year.

Piles of building material have been left on the site for years, homeowners said

Dead trees, rubbish and heaps of soil had also been abandoned on the site, homeowners said.

They pay the First Port management company, which oversees the running of the estate, for maintenance.

Kevin Graham told the BBC he was having to fork out to "maintain the public open spaces which haven't yet been completed".

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) in August 2023, Persimmon South West said contractors would be returning to the Sherborne site to complete unfinished jobs.

“We would like to reassure residents that we have not left the Corelli development and fully intend to complete the site to the highest standard," they added.

First Port also said, while some areas were the responsibility of the developer, it would ensure communal areas it managed were well-maintained and safe.

Some pavements have been left unfinished

Mr Crabb said the estate had been the subject of "many failures of planning enforcement".

"I understand talking to colleagues that similar problems have occurred on Persimmon developments in Shaftesbury and elsewhere," he said.

“What measures will [Dorset Council] be taking in future to ensure proper compliance by this developer with its obligations and will that include ensuring that maintenance of public areas is under the control of residents?”

The authority declined a request to list problems with Persimmon developments in the county, but said it was "aware of concerns" from residents.

Shane Bartlett, planning portfolio holder, added that talks to resolve the issues had been "positive".

A spokesperson for Persimmon South West said: “We can confirm that contractors recently began work on site last month to undertake a detailed schedule of works, ensuring we meet all of our obligations at the Corelli development.

“We’ve held positive meetings with Dorset Council to address outstanding issues, focusing on road adoption, the community barns, and the on-site secret garden.

“Encouragingly, we’ve received initial feedback from the Council regarding a potential lighting solution, which will allow the remaining roads to be adopted.

"We will continue to work with the residents' association and key stakeholders as we complete the development as quickly as possible.”