Angry residents accuse Persimmon Homes of failing to address issues with “disgracefully shoddy” doors and windows on new Cotswold Vale estate

ANGRY residents of a new village have accused house builder Persimmon Homes of failing to address issues with “disgracefully shoddy” doors and windows on the estate.

Cotswold Vale is an estate of 149 new houses, still being built near Quinton by Persimmon, where residents from 15 households have joined together to fight for improvements.

Robert Fung told the Herald that since moving onto the estate three years ago he has had eight new doors – four front doors and four back – fitted at his detached three-bedroom house as Persimmon instigated a series of failed repairs.

He said: “Persimmon have tried to botch things over. The windows and doors are disgracefully shoddy and don’t fit the apertures, so they fill big gaps with foam and plaster and cover it up with sealant and trim. But it still lets the wind and rain in and is not soundproof. They are not resolving issues, just putting a sticking plaster on it and hoping we will go away.”

Mr Fung is not alone – other householders on the estate have similar tales caused by ill-fitting doors and windows. Father of two-year-old twin boys and a daughter, five, Dan Owens, said: “It’s a constant battle to keep my kids’ bedrooms warm. The wind rips down the road and whistles through the windows causing a terrible draught. We constantly have the heating on and the kids sometimes wear coats in the house.”

Mr Owen said Persimmon promised that bills would be cut in half by the heat-efficient new houses, but as his experience shows the reality is very different.

Graham and Sheila Sparks have ongoing problems with their back door which has been replaced twice. “The aperture is twisted,” explained Graham. “So the problem is not being fixed by fitting a new door.”

Another householder, Mike Hobbs, called the situation scandalous. “I’ve tried to give Persimmon the benefit of the doubt. I’ve had four doors fitted so far – two at the front and two at the back. We waited six weeks for the last one to turn up and when it did there was a chunk missing. We’ve had some windows replaced, but not all, and so now they don’t match.

“The whole process is infuriating and a waste of everyone’s time and money. When we bought the house we were assured that we just had to pick up the phone if there were any problems and they would be sorted – that’s blatantly not true.”

Mr Owens is still waiting for fitted kitchen cupboards to be completed. He explained: “We bought them as an extra when we paid for the house and we waited for them for two years. When they did turn up the doors didn’t fit the carcasses – so we’re still waiting for the right doors.”

Persimmon made national headlines in 2019 when an independent report in 2019 criticised its lack of building standards. At the time chairman Roger Devlin promised it would make sweeping changes to improve its reputation.

Having formed an action committee, residents of Cotswold vale say they are willing to fight to get everyone on the estate fairly treated.

Mr Fung said: “Persimmon should own up and offer new doors and windows to everyone, it is only fair. But they leave it for householders to make their own claim and negotiate individually, and not everyone has the skillset to fight their own corner or they can’t deal with the stress that is involved.”

Residents say they feel like Persimmon hope the complaints will go away.

Mr Hobbs said: “Persimmon know what the problems are, but it seems like the fewer they can get away with and save money the better – that’s the impression we’ve got, and it feels like a cover up.”

Although it is a relatively new community, the group told the Herald that the battles to save the woodland and remove the speed bumps have brought them closer together and spurred them on.

Mr Hobbs added: “We’re not going to give up and just go away, we’re standing firm.”

In response to the residents’ criticisms a spokesperson for Persimmon told the Herald:

“At Persimmon Homes it is important to us that our customers are happy in their homes and that the design and build is of the highest possible standard and quality.

“We are aware that some homeowners at the Cotswold Vale development have experienced issues with their windows and doors in the past and we have been dealing with those that have been reported to us to resolve the situation.

“Our customer care team will continue to deal with any issues raised and are happy to discuss any further concerns residents may have.”

Meanwhile Stratford District Council said it had little powers when it came to enforcing quality building in the area. It told the Herald: “The council sympathises with the purchasers. However the quality of how the windows and doors have been installed is not an enforcement matter and the responsibility lies with the developer. This is an approved inspector site (National House Building Council) and therefore Building Regulations and Warranty is provided for this development by them.”

In response the NHBC said: “We are sorry to hear that homeowners at Cotswold Vale are experiencing problems with their homes. We can confirm that we have received contact from some homeowners at the development and provided advice on how we are able to assist under the NHBC Buildmark policy. We would encourage any other policy holders to refer to their policy documents for details of the assistance we can provide.”

After 36 years in the Royal Navy, Mr Fung says he knows a thing or two about leadership. “Persimmon need to show ethical leadership. They need to own up to the problems, apologise and sort it out.”

https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/families-demand-fix-for-shoddy-new-homes-9238538/