New Build Residents Left in Limbo as Developer Fails to Complete Essential Infrastructure
Homeowners on a Stoke-on-Trent new-build development are facing significant challenges due to incomplete infrastructure work, in a case that starkly illustrates the potential pitfalls of purchasing new-build properties without ensuring all essential works are completed. The situation highlights the critical importance of thorough pre-completion inspections and proper documentation of developer commitments.
Residents of St Dominic's Place in Hartshill have endured a litany of issues that have persisted for over five years, transforming what should have been their dream homes into a source of ongoing frustration and concern. The development, which promised modern living in a desirable location, has been plagued by non-functioning streetlights, unfinished roads with dangerous potholes, and problematic drainage systems that have required resident intervention to resolve.
The situation exemplifies a growing concern in the new-build sector, where homeowners can find themselves caught between mortgage commitments and incomplete infrastructure works. Despite moving into their properties in 2019, homeowners report that basic infrastructure promises remain unfulfilled, leaving them in a precarious position regarding both safety and property value.
Local resident Dan Canavan's experience epitomises the challenges faced by the community. His young daughter suffered injuries after encountering unmarked holes around partially installed lampposts, highlighting the very real safety risks posed by incomplete works. "When we bought the house, we were promised streetlighting, signage, a new access road, and a whole landscaping project that has never happened," Canavan explains, describing how the developer's failure to complete even basic infrastructure has impacted daily life.
The severity of the situation has finally drawn intervention from local authorities, with Stoke-on-Trent City Council taking decisive legal action against the developer, Dunedin Homes and Developments Limited. Following the developer's failure to address these issues voluntarily, the council successfully prosecuted the company for non-compliance with a breach of condition notice. Enforcement proceedings are now ongoing to ensure completion of the outstanding works, though residents remain concerned about timelines and implementation.
Perhaps most concerning for homeowners has been the necessity to self-fund essential repairs, with residents having to pool their resources to address issues that should have been the developer's responsibility. The community has collectively contributed £600 for drainage repairs and £500 for temporary solar lighting solutions, expenses that many feel they should never have had to bear. The situation has been further complicated by adoption issues, with utility providers such as Severn Trent Water unable to take responsibility for services due to incomplete developer paperwork, leaving residents in an administrative limbo.
While Dunedin Homes and Developments has recently indicated plans to complete the development, stating that Severn Trent Water should adopt the sewers in February 2025 with streetlighting energisation to follow, residents remain understandably sceptical. Their scepticism stems from years of unfulfilled promises and what they describe as a pattern of being "completely ignored" by the developer. The community's experience serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of ensuring developers are held to their commitments before completion.
