LOCALS living in what’s been dubbed Britain’s newbuild capital have revealed what it’s like calling one of the 3,300 properties home.
Some residents say their homes were plagued with issues both inside and out when they first moved in – and parts still haven’t been fixed.
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The Oxfordshire town of Didcot has become known for the sheer amount of newbuilds popping up all over it.
In one estate, known as Great Western Park, around 3,300 homes have shot up since 2020.
But some living in the massive estate, which has mostly been built by developing giant Taylor Wimpey, have had issues with their ceilings, gardens and walls.
Plus they say it’s difficult to get their children into schools, and getting a doctor or dentist appointment can feel impossible.
Sheila Nortey, 44, is one of the many who splashed £275,000 on her newbuild eight years ago.
The social worker told The Sun: “There were a few snagging problems when we moved in – the garden was in a bad state and we had a leak through the ceiling.
“But the builders sorted them out and it’s been fine since then.”
The mum said while there was a junior school nearby, her teen has to go to a secondary school in Reading – which is a 30-minute drive away.
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Resident Jessica Lamb, 43, said she had to make do with her fourth choice for a school for her son – but appreciated it was nearby.
She added: “Our GP, though, is five miles away and if we need a dentist we have to drive six or seven miles to Abingdon.”
A couple of mums, who did not want to be named, added: “You can’t get your children into the local schools.
“I live right opposite a GP but it’s impossible to get an appointment, and I have a 40-minute bus ride to visit the dentist.”
Her pal added: “Apart from that it’s lovely living here.”
Last week Richard Roberts, 34, also opened up about renting one of the newbuilds.
He told The Sunday Times: “You can tell they’re made to make money.
“You lean up against a wall and it wobbles.
“If I had enough money I probably wouldn’t buy a newbuild.”
About two miles away another newbuild estate called Nobel Park is popping up – with two-bedroom semis starting at £375,000.
Tania and Andrew Wolfson are renting there, but have concerns for what it’ll be like when it’s finished.
There were a few snagging problems when we moved in – the garden was in a bad state and we had a leak through the ceiling.
Sheila Nortey
Andrew said: “Business is booming in the Oxford area.
“But building houses for people isn’t enough on its own. We also need schools and all the infrastructure.
“Most of the roads round here weren’t designed to cope for the amount of traffic we get now.”
Tania adds: “There are three GPs at the local surgery with 22,000 patients – so more than 7,000 people for each doctor.
“It doesn’t take a genius to work out that won’t work.”
Taylor Wimpey told The Sun: “At Great Western Park we have created a vibrant new community, which benefits from brand new facilities for everyone to enjoy, including a secondary school, primary school, nursery, health centre, local pub, coffee shop, supermarket and the excellent Boundary Park playing fields and sports facilities.
“We are working closely with the district councils as we continue to support this vibrant community.”
The company added: “We are proud to build high-quality homes in developments where our customers can feel part of a community and enjoy a good quality of life.
“Last year, we contributed £455 million to local communities via planning obligations to fund a range of infrastructure and facilities including affordable housing, green space, community, commercial and leisure facilities, transport infrastructure, heritage buildings and public art.
“We aim to install infrastructure at an early stage of the build process to enhance our schemes and help the new community become established quickly.”
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What are your rights?
All new build homes come with some form of warranty.
Most often, this is a builder warranty of around 10 years, against structural issues, and a shorter developer warranty against issues with fixtures and fittings.
Registered builders are bound by a Consumer Code, which sets out quality standards.
If the house is not complete at the time it was promised, the customer can cancel the purchase, with a full refund of any deposit or reservation fee.
Complaints can be resolved privately with builders/developers in the first instance.
However, if you are not satisfied, there is an independent dispute scheme that can be used within the first three months of receiving the final response to the complaint from the builders.
