New homes in Haywards Heath turn into ‘nightmare’ for residents

Maria Morales moved into her new flat in Foundry Gardens, Rocky Drive, in September, and said it has been ‘nine months of hell’.

The developer says problems have been addressed and all work is now completed.

But residents say this is not the case, and they are still waiting for their homes and the surrounding area to be finished as promised.

“It has been the worst nightmare of my life,” said Maria, 55.

“I used all my savings on this. My husband passed away, so I moved here to find relaxation, peace and quiet.”

She said when she moved in the development was unfinished and ‘looked like a building site’.

“It started to rain and the back garden started to flood really bad,” said Maria.

“There were no drains installed. It felt damp and cold. We were surrounded by a moat – we just needed a little dinghy to get around in.”

She said before she moved in she was told her new home was ‘high-quality’ and was shown pictures which were ‘magnificent’.

“I feel I have been conned. What I bought and what they gave me was not the same thing,” Maria said.

She added: “You come here and you think, this is going to be my dream home, but it has been a nightmare.”

Engineer Nigel Parsons moved into his new flat in October, and said there have been ‘endless snags’.

He said these have included water coming through his patio doors, cracks on the walls and mould.

The 54-year-old said: “It wasn’t made clear to us that we would effectively be living in a building site. I don’t think they understand the level of stress and wasted time they have put us through.

“We pay £1,250 maintenance each per year and there hasn’t been any maintenance. We are still trying to get answers to where our money has gone.”

He said he moved to cut his commute but the time he has saved has instead been wasted fighting problems.

“I wished I hadn’t moved here, I could have got a lot better for my money but I’m not in a position to move again,” said Nigel.

“I don’t like going home. It doesn’t feel like a home. Nothing is perfect but I never expected this.”

Developer: ‘issues resolved’

Countryside Properties said all work at Foundry Gardens had now been completed, including an upgrade to the hallway heating, fixed guttering and boundary planting.

Tom Sherriff, managing director of Countryside Housebuilding South, said: “Having been made aware, in October 2019, of a some issues at Foundry Gardens in relation to the planting, lighting and excess water around the communal areas, all work has now been completed.

“We have taken every measure to complete the works safely and prioritised them following a delay due to the lockdown restrictions and updated working protocols.

“In addition, the communal greenspace has now been fully landscaped and transformed into a beautiful space for residents and their families to enjoy.

“Our on-site team has been in frequent contact with the residents, updating them on the remediation works at every stage. As a trusted housebuilder, we take the safety and security of our communities seriously.

“Our dedicated customer service teams are in constant communication with the residents via e-mail, phone and face-to-face meetings to make sure any issues that affect the community are addressed appropriately and efficiently.”

He says the residents were offered £250 compensation – but this was rejected. The ‘gesture of goodwill’ was a contribution towards the maintenance fee paid by residents, covering lighting, insurance and landscaping.

“Alongside the additional work that Countryside agreed to do including extra planting and the installation of hall heaters, which has now been completed, we felt this was a fair offer,” he said.

“We have addressed each issue throughout this period, stayed in touch with and met with the residents. The photos submitted by the residents are all of the same period, dating back to September 2019, which we addressed in a meeting in February 2020, and not reflective of the present environment.”

He said following that meeting, all agreed actions had been completed and the MD had offered to meet with Mr Parsons as a next step.