Shropshire Council raises concerns over developer’s lack of action in Wem
Shropshire Council is pledging to escalate concerns over developers failing to meet basic standards, and leaving housing estates without proper roads and pathways.
The promise to highlight issues and seek changes to legislation comes in light of a number of complaints from homeowners on a development in Wem, which the construction firm Morris Homes (West Midlands Limited) left without completing the roads and pavements, leaving Shropshire Council legally unable to adopt them.
The developers moved off site 12 years ago.
Current legislation does not allow councils to pursue legal action against developers, and Shropshire Council says it cannot reasonably be expected to use taxpayers’ money to carry out work that should have been completed by a commercial organisation as part of its commitment to its customers.
Chris Schofield, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said:
“Residents are having to put up with poor quality infrastructure, in this case for more than a decade, because developers simply won’t do what they said they would.
“Shropshire Council’s Place Overview Committee (since superceded by Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee) established the Housing Developments Task and Finish Group, to examine shoddy works, building control and planning enforcement, as well as open space and highways adoptions; and we will be working with our MPs to take this up nationally, and call for new powers for councils to force developers to fulfil such commitments.”
The issue in Wem has been raised by Edward Towers and Peter Broomhall, local Shropshire Councillors for Wem, who, with the council, have repeatedly sought to resolve the issue with the developer.
They said: “Time and again we’ve had positive noises and promises. Deadlines have come and gone and we’re no further forward, and the state of the unadopted road is getting worse.
“People moved into these homes 12 years ago but are still waiting for the developer to finish the job to the specification their customers were led to expect. It’s time that Morris Homes do what they’ve promised to do and fulfil their commitment to their customers.”
