FUMING locals have slammed nightmare newbuilds after claiming dangerous potholes turned their road into a “warzone”.
Residents on Pulling Road, in Exeter, Devon, say construction work has torn their street apart and huge craters make life hell – but the council won’t help.
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The developer, Verto Homes, started building the 40 new properties over a year ago and wreaked havoc ever since.
But, the firm claimed the road was “dilapidated” before they started construction.
Scathing local Maggie Skeet, said she fear of being hospitalised each time she walks down the pothole ridden road.
The 86-year-old said: “We regularly have large vehicles driving up and down the road which has led to an extremely damaged road surface.
“Recently this has become significantly worse and includes damage to pavements on which frequently there are also multiple vehicles parked.”
But the fed-up homeowner claimed resurfacing won’t happen until all the newbuilds are finished.
“This leaves me at 86 years old trying to navigate either a blocked pavement or the crater surface of the road to get to the bus stop,” she added.
“I use a stick and would end up hospitalised if I fell.”
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Vetro Homes was granted planning permission for the new development, Nexa Fields, by Devon County Council in 2021.
The firm now claim they have been instructed by the council not to repair any hellish craters until the all the properties are completed.
A spokesperson for Verto Homes said: “Verto are delivering the UK’s first development of Zero Carbon Smart Homes with Zero Bills guaranteed for its residents.
“This development, named Nexa Fields, is of 40 homes including 10 affordable homes.
“In addition to the highly efficient sustainable specification and affordable homes provision, financial contributions of over £175,000 towards local education, £130,000 towards local highways, and £438,000 towards local infrastructure are being made.
This leaves me at 86 years old trying to navigate either a blocked pavement or the crater surface of the road to get to the bus stop.”
Maggie Skeet
“Pulling Road is an adopted highway owned and maintained by Devon County Council.
“As confirmed by a pre-commencement condition survey, Pulling Road was in a dilapidated state prior to the commencement of Nexa Fields.
“Upon consultation with the Highways Department of Devon County Council, including inspection thereby, it was confirmed that Pulling Road is due to be resurfaced and reconditioned and Verto were instructed not to undertake any works to the adopted road.”
The developer added they will deal with locals’ complaints in a “timely fashion”.
A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “Pulling Road has unfortunately been damaged by heavy vehicles working on a nearby development.
“At present, it would not be the best use of public funds to spend vast sums of money on the amount of maintenance we would like to carry out, only for it to be damaged by the development traffic.
“However, we will continue to monitor the condition of the road and will repair safety defects in line with government guidelines.
I use a stick and would end up hospitalised if I fell.”
Maggie Skeet
“We are also working with the developers to try and improve the situation.”
This comes as other UK neighbourhoods are plagued by disastrous newbuild developments.
Locals in Mansfield, Nottingham, live in fear their street will become “Piccadilly Circus” thanks to newbuilds.
Fuming residents have slammed council-backed plans to build almost 100 houses.
Meanwhile, homeowners in the Oxfordshire town of Didcot say their walls wobble when they lean on them and the estate still needs to be finished.
The unfinished housing estate also brings hours of noise and disruption as diggers continue to plough through the ground.
And, locals living in a posh village say newbuild homes are constantly popping up and they don’t fit in with its landscape.
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