Persimmon Homes branded 'shambolic' by Bridgend councillor

Roads and pavements have been left unfinished as work starts on new houses, residents claim

Residents on a new estate claim builders have left pavements incomplete, waste lying around and raised drains that damage car tyres.

Persimmon Homes was last month given the go-ahead to build another 102 properties at Parc Derwen, in Coity, Bridgend.

One resident said he had to call a private plumber to clear stones which were blocking pipes in his home.

A Persimmon Homes spokesman said work on the main infrastructure was ongoing.

Dean Barrington, who has lived at Parc Derwen for the last five years, said residents have experienced a "ridiculous" amount of problems, including drainage issues and poor landscaping.

He said he had suffered from a car tyre being sliced on one of the drains, the construction director being rude on the phone to him and the developer taking no responsibility for internal pipes filled with stones.

"In the end I had to get a private plumber out," he said.

Raised drains have caused problems for motorists, local people have said

Councillor Amanda Williams, who represents Coity, accused the firm of being "shambolic".

"A lot of the gardens are terrible. They keep doing temporary repairs. Lots of pavements are incomplete," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Other complaints include flooded footpaths, a lack of shops and litter bins, and delays in providing children's play areas.

Residents have also raised concerns about a lack of places at Coety Primary School, situated on the estate, which when finished will have around 1,500 homes.

Footpaths were flooded in December 2019

Ms Williams claimed Persimmon was "more focused on selling houses" than providing amenities.

"I can see why people are frustrated," she said.

"They have got no facilities there, children can't go to school, they can't go out and play on the grass."

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A spokesman for Persimmon Homes said: "Over the last 12 months we have undertaken works to the main infrastructure and estate roads. As part of this process, raising of ironworks and curb remedials was required.

"The majority of the works have now been completed, but there are areas of the development that still require surfacing and works are ongoing.

"We envisage that final surfacing to the majority of estate roads will be complete within the next three months."

The spokesman said the firm had also installed land drainage to tackle surface water, which he said could be an issue with housing developments in Wales.

He said heavy rain had led to blocked drains, but claimed nappy wipes were "the main culprit" in one instance where debris was involved.

Several people claim their car tyres have been damaged

The firm added that planning permission had been granted for the shops in August and play areas would be installed over the next few weeks.

It said provision of litter bins was a matter for Bridgend County Borough Council.

A council spokesman said its planning team was "following up a number of enforcement issues regarding the overall development at Parc Derwen, including the provision of play areas and open space".

He said that the primary school was designed and built to a size "deemed suitable at the time it was conceptualised", but an extension would be considered.