'Hellway': The New-Build Estate With An Endless Supply Of Problems
“Our impeccable attention to detail is at the forefront of our build process,” proclaims the brochure for Bassingbourn Fields, a home estate near Fordham, Cambridgeshire. “and our high standards are reflected in our dedication to customer service” .
Tell that to the residents of several of its 100 properties
For some in the new construction community, the developer’s name, Bellway, has become a filthy word.
“We call it Hellway,” one homeowner tells me, after what locals describe as more than two years of pandemonium and endless snags—the industry name for faults.
Bellway says it’s working to resolve outstanding issues. So, what went wrong?
“When you buy a new build, you expect some snags—a few cracks here and there,” says Jon Trevenna, 70, who moved into his home in early 2022, anticipating a smooth retirement and more time with his grandchildren.
“You don’t expect three major leaks in your bathroom—a downstairs radiator to be plumbed into the upstairs and vice versa—and the fence between you and your neighbour to look like a rollercoaster,” adds the homeowner.
“There were so many problems, most of the small stuff we had to fix ourselves.”
Bassingbourn Fields appears to be a typical new development set amid the countryside.
However, the residents we’ve spoken with tell a totally different narrative.
A young woman, who asked not to be recognized, tells me that within weeks of moving in, the entire staircase collapsed, and her husband plunged into the understairs cupboard.
“The contractor who came to fix it claimed there was only one screw in each step. “There should have been fourteen,” she says.
“We’ll leave as soon as we can—too many bad memories here.”
Megan Saint-Denis claims she has been waiting three years for the builders to perform critical repairs.
“We had really bad flooding in the back, and they’ve only just come out to dig up the entire garden, which meant we lost all of our plants at a big cost to ourselves,” she shares.
“We’ve taken time off work having to wait for people who don’t show up, and it’s stressful having to chase them constantly.”It’s our first home; therefore, it’s spoiled the experience for us completely.”
Bellway has received 5-star builder designation in the Home Builders Federation awards for the past eight years, and it recently won the Large Housebuilder prize in another industry-led competition.
Last year, its operating profit climbed by more than 50%, reaching slightly over £500 million.
Stephen McIntyre, 54, one of Bellway’s latest customers, paid £500,000 for his home but was so upset with the completion that he hired solicitors.
“I could have bought a five-bedroom bungalow in Peebles,” he told me.
But instead, he claims he received
- A broken toilet.
- Possible issues include a fractured shower tray,
- a flooded back yard,
- an unsecure downstairs window.
- Issues may include an unlevel patio,
- leaking sinks and radiators,
- unsteady floorboards,
- botched outdoor steps,
- misaligned boundary fences.
“In the past two and a half years, my wife and I have taken 20 weeks off work and spent thousands of pounds getting everything sorted,” according to him.
“We have felt like strangers in our own home. I just want Bellway to accept responsibility for what they did.
Bellway has agreed to extend the warranty on Mr McIntyre’s house.
Typically, with new buildings, the developer is required to repair any flaws discovered within the first two years of purchasing the property.
However, residents complain that arranging repairs is a difficult task that is frequently inadequate and causes further issues.
Rebecca Fay, who needs her roof retiled, claims that her problems are “constantly pushed to the bottom of the pile” and that “only people who shout the loudest get sorted”.
Kelly Heather, who moved to Bassingbourn Fields in January of last year, claims she had no choice but to become a project manager during her maternity leave, pursuing Bellway to remedy more than 200 issues, including serious damage to the downstairs floor.
She claims she is still waiting for her shower unit to be replaced.
“It’s been terrible. “It can take three weeks to receive a response to an email, and sometimes we’re simply ignored,” she says.
“I got an apology once from the managing director, but he didn’t answer my main question, which was ‘why is this happening?’.”
Kelly believes Bellway raced to sell the homes and collect the money before the estate was completed. Other residents criticize a turnover of inexperienced site managers.
Samantha Curling, chairwoman of the National Association of Professional Snagging Inspectors, says they are unfortunately not unique incidents, and “most developers have at least one site they’re not proud of.”
“The supply chain has dwindled but the demand for new homes has increased so it’s a fighting battle to get skilled tradespeople to finish the job,” she explains.
“Many have told me they won’t work on new-build sites because of the rates of pay and the pressure to do more than is humanly possible.”
We contacted Bellway Homes to explain the incident at Bassingborough Fields.
In a statement, it stated that it was “aware of defects on the site” and wanted to “apologise to homeowners who may not have received the service expected.”.
“A new home is a hand-built product, so defects do occur and often only become apparent once homeowners move into their home,” the organization went on.
“As a responsible developer, all of our homes are sold with the benefit of a 10-year Buildmark warranty, of which the first two years are covered by Bellway, whereby we will remediate any defects found in properties.”
While many hazards have been repaired, there are still damaged or overgrown walkways, a flooded drainage basin, and metal pipes or electrical wires protruding into the newly renovated children’s play area.
Bellway stated it was working to resolve the lingering concerns.
Last month, it delegated responsibility for the site’s maintenance to a third-party management business.
Some residents refused to pay their initial payment.
