A “PERFECT” newbuild family home turned into a nightmare when it flooded and became unliveable.
Anthony Dixon says he doesn’t even let his son play on the swings in the garden of his £238,000 home anymore it’s that “dangerous”.
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Left with a garden submerged in “stagnant” and “horrible dirty muddy water”, the 34-year-old and wife Nichola are at their wits end.
The physiotherapist told ChronicleLive: “In the summer, even a neighbour using a sprinkler can result in our garden flooding.
“This is a massive health risk to my son who tends to put a lot of objects in his mouth and obviously stagnant water is perfect for lots of bacteria.”
Chaos erupted at his Barratt home in Hebburn, South Tyneside, after a botched job laying the lawn.
Anthony says bungling builders placed grass on top of rubble, glass and other items “not safe for a child to play on”.
But despite lifting and replacing the lawn at the Bedewell Court home an astonishing three times due to flooding – they never laid down topsoil.
It means water cannot drain leaving the garden like a bog and unusable for his lad who is autistic and benefits from the sensory experience of outdoor toys.
To add insult to injury, Anthony added: “Barratts contractors then fitted drainage into the garden but proceeded to cover this with the same clay they had initially removed.
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“Not only does my garden have rain water to cope with but three other gardens drain into mine.”
The four-year wrangle over the home he moved into in 2018 has left Anthony losing “all faith in Barratts” claiming the bungling work each time “made things worse”.
He’s now seeking compensation for the carnage but he says Barratts have refused.
It forced the couple to seek a Disabled Facilities Grant from South Tyneside Council but they were turned down twice, as they say it’s the developer’s responsibility.
A spokesman for the council said: “The garden is not useable for any person regardless of age or disability due to the poor drainage.
“This is a maintenance issue and the responsibility of fixing this lies with the company which built the house.”
Barrett Homes North East said there was no defect with the family’s garden, adding: “We are sorry that Mr Dixon is not satisfied with his garden.”
“Mr. Dixon moved into his home in 2018, we have carried out levelling works, installed additional drainage and commissioned an independent inspection of the garden to identify any further issues.
“While this inspection showed no drainage problems, it did make some recommendations, which we were also happy to carry out.
“Recent heavy rainfall has since resulted in water collecting on Mr Dixon’s garden.
“We have offered to further inspect the drainage and to pay for the turf to be relayed.
“We understand how important it is for Mr. Dixon and his family to be able to enjoy their garden, and we want to work with him to resolve this matter.”
