BULLDOZERS tearing down a newbuild estate are causing “mini earthquakes”, residents say.
They claim their homes shake and beds wobble as properties are flattened on Darwin Green in Cambridgeshire.
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And it’s leaving homeowners like Brenda terrified in her £640,000 property.
The software engineer, 27, who lives on Beagle Close, told The Sun: “It’s like a mini earthquake, especially upstairs where the bed wobbles.
“The developer really should have been aware of these problems before starting work.”
Last year, deep cracks caused by dodgy foundations were found in some 36 finished homes on the three-year-old estate.
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Developers Barratt David Wilson Homes said the properties didn’t meet their “usual high standards” so ordered them to be demolished.
Defects were then discovered in a further 52 partially-built plots that will need to have their foundations corrected.
But despite assurances from developers the rest of the planned 1,500 plot estate is fine, residents fear the wrecking ball is coming for them.
And they’re also facing 12 weeks of disruptive demolition works.
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University lecturer Linn Jiang – who bought her house two years ago – is one of those impacted.
She told the Sun: “We can feel our house shake during some of the demolition work and we need to keep the windows closed because of the noise.
“The developers say everything is fine because the structure of the land is different here, and we have to believe them. But we’re not totally convinced.”
Several of the homes – on sale for between £575,000 and £850,000 -had already been reduced rubble when The Sun visited this week.
Others had been stripped of solar panels ready for the wrecking crews need just two hours to knock a house down.
The flatted homes will need to be rebuilt from scratch but builders will salvage and re-use bricks, tiles, doors, windows and other materials where possible.
Justina, who lives in a £600,000 three-storey, link-detached home, said the whole saga has been “upsetting”.
The mum-of-two added: “Every time I look out my window there’s one fewer neighbouring house left standing.”
Katie Thornburrow, the city’s executive councillor for planning, blasted the developers for the “deeply concerning” demolition.
Labour councillor Simon Smith said the whole thing is “a terrible waste”.
The estate just 1.6 miles from Cambridge city centre, is set to include a primary school, shops, library and health centre, as well as 15 acres of park land and sports fields.
A spokesperson for Barratt David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire said: “The demolition works are proceeding as agreed in the plan with the Council.
“We are working closely with the local planning officers to make sure the correct measures are in place to prevent excessive vibration, noise or dust from affecting local residents.
“Our monitoring stations have not recorded any vibrations above the agreed threshold from the demolition process, but we will continue to monitor the levels closely.
“We are currently installing the screening needed for the next phase of the demolition starting next week.
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“We ask that if residents have any concerns, they get in touch with us.”
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