Kentish Express Ashford & District
Anger over new-builds as tiles and cladding torn from homes
Angry residents say they are regretting moving to Ashford’s new Chilmington Green estate after scores of new-build homes were badly damaged in the storm.
Several properties in the Chilmington Lakes part of the development had cladding ripped off by 80mph gusts which damaged cars, garages and gardens.
And in nearby Discovery Drive, a row of more than 20 homes facing open fields all had tiles blown away from the same part of their roofs.
The homes are less than two years old, with some residents having only moved in a few months ago.
Hodson Developments, which built Chilmington Lakes, has promised to repair the damaged cladding.
However, several homeowners in Discovery Drive are angered by their developer Barratt Kent which has confirmed it will not carry out repairs as damage caused by extreme weather is not covered in the warranty.
This is something resident Wasiu Olukoya, who moved in just over a year ago, feels is “completely unfair”.
“I feel we have made a mistake moving here,” he said.
“We are like the fence for the properties behind; we protect the others from being damaged but it shouldn’t be that way.
“It’s on the same place on every roof but Barratt is not willing to take any responsibility and we feel they haven’t even empathised with us.
“They have just said deal with it; use your own insurance.
“We bought this home for £360,000 and we can’t even use the terrace because it’s too windy.”
Mr Olukoya says he has even booked his home in for an evaluation and is thinking about moving away from the area.
This is not the first time homes in Discovery Drive have had issues with the roof tiles.
Resident Kendal Taylor says a similar issue occurred last year which Barratt Kent did fix.
The 29-year-old added: “When
the tiles were damaged by winds before they replaced them but now they won’t.
“There are tiles in the gutters and it’s a hazard but we have been told to clear it ourselves.
“They knew it was a windy area when they built the homes so they should have built them with that in mind.”
Homeowner Glenn Smith fears what this might mean for his insurance.
The 40-year-old added: “Barratt has left us high and dry which is disheartening when other housebuilders have taken responsibility.
“You don’t have to be an expert to see there is obviously a problem with the roofs; they’ve all got holes in exactly the same places.
“Everyone here works hard and we got sold this dream which hasn’t become a reality.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Barratt Kent said: “A small number of properties at our Chilmington Green development were affected by the recent storms.
“As roofs damaged by extreme weather are not covered under the new build home buyer warranty, we advise anyone who has been affected to contact their home insurance company directly to arrange repairs.”
However, many residents who have tried to go through their insurance say they are waiting for the developer to provide the companies with details of which materials were used so the claims can be processed.