Walter Brown and Sharon Kelly moved into their four-bedroom detached home in December 2022, but have been left regretting their move due to the view from their window
A couple say they regret moving into their brand-new £358,000 home due to the unsightly view from their window.
Walter Brown and Sharon Kelly took possession of their four-bedroom detached property, in Balsam Way, Callerton, near Newcastle, as part of the Ashberry Homes Church View development, in December 2022. However, they claim that a neglected area at the end of their cul-de-sac, known as the SUDs, has become an “eyesore” and a “wasteland”, making them wish they had invested their money elsewhere.
57-year-old Walter, a Newcastle City Council employee, has been trying to bring the issue to the developers’ attention since moving in but feels he has been met with indifference. Walter recounted: “It’s like landfill, it’s got mattresses buried in there, there’s rubble in there. We’ve sent emails, made phone calls, and chased it, but we’re getting nowhere.
The developers have blamed the state of the site on illegal fly-tipping and claim that sub-contractors have been appointed to clean it up, but a start date has yet to be announced. The couple is distraught, and the lack of action has taken a toll on them.
Walter added: “The tears my partner’s had, we’ve looked forward to living in a new home for quite a few years. The outlook is appalling, it really is. We’ve paid a small fortune for this house.” Walter has alleged that about eight weeks ago, a high-ranking individual from Bellway inspected the location and gave him assurances that the outstanding work would be dealt with promptly.
Yet, as Christmas approaches with less than two weeks to go, there’s still no sign of the promised clean-up operation kicking off. The 57 year old has also highlighted several concerns such as missing road signs, “holes” on the road outside his home, the road not yet being fully tarmacked, and that street lighting had only been installed
All these points have been brought to the attention of Ashberry’s parent company Bellway by ChronicleLive. Describing the condition of his street, Walter noted a clear discrepancy compared to the adjacent housing area constructed by Bellway, remarking: “You walk around the corner onto Bellway’s estate and it’s all flat, and it’s done to the standard that we thought we were buying into.
“The issues have left Walter and his partner regretting their decision to leave Chapel Park. Walter concluded: “In Chapel Park, there’s a really well-established and looked after estate. It’s just really nice around there and we wish we had stayed on the estate and bought another house there now, that’s what it come to.”
Bellway, the firm at the helm of Ashberry, responded with a statement: “Bellway has been working to address the concerns of residents relating to the land which has been used by fly-tippers to dispose waste illegally. Our divisional teams have been on site and sub-contractors have been appointed to clean up the site and undertake landscaping works to improve the area concerned.
“The SUDs is an area which is a natural surface water drainage area and is designed to provide a natural area within the development. During the winter months, growth dies back and can look unsightly, so we are arranging to tidy up this area.”
