Unfinished work at Hartford Hall Estate is costing residents

Posted by The Journal on Oct 29, 09 08:19 AM in News

Frustrated families are facing the prospect of having to pay for the completion of unfinished work on their trouble-plagued housing estate following the collapse of its development company.

Residents who bought expensive homes on the upmarket Hartford Hall Estate near Bedlington, Northumberland, say they have been left with rutted roads, unsightly open spaces and inadequate street lighting.

Hartford Hall before the redevelopment- developer Ho Sanderson

Now they are preparing to pick up the bill to put things right after development company Hartford Hall Estate Ltd became insolvent and was placed in administration earlier this year.

Last month court proceedings against company directors Ho Sanderson and his wife Margaret - who were charged with breaching planning conditions imposed on the development - were dropped by the county council in the wake of the administration move.

But with no funds available to complete the estate's roads, landscaping and street lighting, the residents of the 71 properties face having to share the cost of the work between them.

Next week the county council's executive is expected to agree to provide them with estimates of the cost of the outstanding work. The council's in-house team could eventually be asked to carry out the work, if the Hartford Hall residents' association agrees to go ahead and pay for it.

Yesterday Christine Purdon, secretary of the residents' association, said: "We are trying to get some clarification from the county council on the best route forward for us.

"We have reconciled ourselves to having to pay for this unfinished work, because we realise there is no money available for it after the developer went into administration.

The estate roads, the landscaping and the street lighting are just unacceptable.

"The roads are starting to collapse because they have not got proper surfacing, and that could also affect the sewers."

Fellow Hartford Hall resident Eileen Ellis said: "The roads have not been surfaced and the under-surface is wearing away, and the meadow on the estate has had stuff dumped on it and is covered in rubble and weeds. We were sold down the river with promises, and we have paid for all this unfinished work already in the purchase price of our houses."

Hartford Hall Estate has been a troubled project since the residents first moved in four years ago, amid claims of problems and delays with work on their new homes.

There have been sewage pollution incidents in the nearby River Blyth and protests by residents against plans by the developers to build more houses to fund the completion of the estate.

The court proceedings against the Sandersons were launched by the former Wansbeck Council after Hartford Hall Estate Ltd allegedly failed to carry out required work on roads, footpaths, landscaping, street lighting and car parking.

A report to Monday's meeting of the county council executive says providing a quotation for the completion of the unfinished work would "provide much-needed assistance to the residents of Hartford Hall".

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