NEIGHBOURS say living in their dream newbuild homes has become a nightmare as they’re riddled with faults and the estate is plagued by prostitution.
Outraged residents in Holbeck and Seacroft, Leeds have slammed the council for rushing them into “maddening” houses with walls so thin they can hear “everything next door, at all hours.”
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The 69 properties were built for Leeds Council by developers Wates and United Living New Homes.
They boast eco-friendly solar panels and electric vehicle charging points – but some tenants claim they’re less than impressed with shoddy finishes inside.
Karen, who recently moved to one of the new apartments, told The Sun Online: “The flat’s got a couple of issues but that’s nothing compared to what’s going on outside.
“If I go out for a coffee or to shops, I’ll get men coming up to me asking if I’m working.
“There are girls out here first thing in the morning looking for business. It’s meant to be illegal but the police just turn a blind eye.”
The 50-year-old added: “It’s really frustrating to have this nice apartment but then to feel unsafe when I step outside.”
Mum-of-one Natalia Birkby, expressed mixed opinions about her newbuild.
The 33-year-old explained: “There are problems that I’m struggling to get answers on.
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“My front door is already coming off the hinges and soon it will fall off – what will I do then?”
“I can’t not have a front door, it’s not safe.
“In the garden, the turf hasn’t been laid well – it’s really bumpy. I’m worried that my son might trip and hurt himself.
“I’ve raised it with the council but I’ve not heard anything back.”
However, she also said: “I was living in a one-bed flat with my autistic son until two months ago so honestly I love the home.
“It’s great that he’s got his own room and the garden to play in.”
One furious resident, Peter, claims his life has become a nightmare ever since he moved into one of the estate’s two-bed properties.
The 43-year-old said gunk has continuously seeped from taps, his toilet doesn’t flush and his son even became trapped in a cupboard after the handle fell off.
He explained the house didn’t come with curtains and the family have been forced to cover them with kitchen roll.
“They handed us the keys and sent us on our way,” Peter said.
“They’ve not told us how to use the boiler or the thermostat and there are switches everywhere and I have no idea what they’re for.
“It’s all been so rushed. It’s like they’ve moved us in without quite getting to the finish line.
My front door is already coming off the hinges and soon it will fall off – what will I do then?”
Natalia Birkby
“The most annoying thing is that they don’t seem to have bothered to put in proper soundproofing. You can hear everything next door, at all hours.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that they’ve paid to put in all these eco-friendly things, like charging points, but they’ve skimped on paying for some proper soundproofing.
“I don’t know who’s designed these houses but it’s maddening.”
Dad James Anthony, pays £600 a month to live his family’s two-bed home.
The gardener said: “The most annoying thing is that we’re still not in the bin collection route.
“The council collect the bins from one side of the street, where older houses are – but they don’t bother to collect ours.
“People in the new-builds are putting their bins out and they’re just laying on the pavement for days.
“It needs sorting.”
But not every tenant is displeased with their newbuild.
Mandy lives in a three-bed home with her daughter and three-year-old grandson.
The 60-year-old spoke about the £750 price tag and said: “It’s a lot of money for a council house but it is brand new.
“There’s a fitted kitchen and all the doors are extra wide to allow for wheelchairs.
The most annoying thing is that they don’t seem to have bothered to put in proper soundproofing. You can hear everything next door, at all hours.”
Furious resident, Peter
“I was gobsmacked when I was offered it. We felt like we’d won the lottery.
“There were a couple of snagging issues when we moved in but the developers came around and went through everything.
“We’ve no complaints. The house is really nice and there’s loads of space for my grandson to play.”
Cllr Mohammed Rafique, of Leeds city council, said: “We are determined to ensure Leeds is the best possible place to live – a city filled with thriving and inclusive communities where development and regeneration is shaped by the priorities of local people.
“These properties in Seacroft and Holbeck also offer a perfect snapshot of the high standards of design and construction that tenants can expect from Leeds’s new generation of energy efficient council housing.”
This comes as newbuild residents across the UK deal with faulty homes.
Tenants who were promised “stunning” homes in a housing development in Birmingham now wish they could have their money back after facing hundreds of problems.
And one woman who moved in with her family two-and-a half-years ago says an independent report found 160 snags or faults in her £400,000 home.
Another £700,000 property was left unfinished by builders who left behind fake vents, cracked bathroom tiles and broken bricks hidden inside the shambolic new home.
While these furious homeowners are unable to sell their newbuild homes because they’ve been built on potentially contaminated land.
Plus, the Cook family who splashed out £345,000 on their newbuild home – only for it to turn into a living nightmare.
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