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The final betrayal at Wornington Green; new buildings 'shoddy and leaking'

By Emma Dent Coad
 
The Dream...
 
Back in the dim mists of time, the residents of Wornington Green were involved in selecting contractors for the first phase of the unwanted development of their homes. Small recompense, but the winners Mansells seemed to be decent, straightforward and said they would work with the community – and so they did.
 
Once the first phase of demolition was over, however – and this is where  fact and rumour meld – Mansells were allegedly thrown unceremonially off the site one day and new contractor Ardmore brought in.
 
Whether this was due, as some said, to the new lot dropping the price by £10m or not, we have no idea. Rumours continue to abound.
 
There has been a lot of debate about the quality of the old buildings in relation to their maintenance, to the design of the new buildings in relation to what they could have achieved, and about who genuinely wanted what, and why. 
 
Let’s just say, the money won.
 
But here is a chilling and undeniable fact. The first original residents have moved in. I went to see how their new buildings were treating them. I was horrified. Here’s why.
 
- the reality:
 
Mismatched door mystery
Mismatched door mystery
 
Wibbly wobbly windows
Wibbly wobbly windows
 
Detailing disasters
Detailing disasters
 
Wibbly wobbly doors
Wibbly wobbly doors
 
Broken pretend stone
Broken pretend stone
 
Cladding catastrophe
Cladding catastrophe
 
Glue gun terror
Glue gun terror
 
More glue gun terror
More glue gun terror
 
We were forced to accept a banal and compromised design, but how anyone can get away with such appalling build quality is simply beyond me; as far as the woodwork is concerned I've seen better sheds built with scrap. Have the overseas buyers of the private homes seen what they are buying for their £ms?
 
Not a shed made of scraps ...
Not a shed made of scraps ...
 
This is the £1m Show House; note window frame
This is the £1m Show House; note window frame
 
Note peeling paint, dodgy window frames
Note peeling paint, dodgy window frames
 
PRIZE PICTURE: NOTE VERTICALS ARE NOT VERTICAL
PRIZE PICTURE: NOTE VERTICALS ARE NOT VERTICAL 
 
Now we are informed that ‘social’ housing provider Catalyst wish to speed up the next stage ‘so that residents can move into their new homes more quickly’. Such a degree of philanthropy seems extremely unlikely so we will leave the real reason to conjecture.
 
And we will just have to hope the first phase (which we hear has been subject to leaks) doesn’t fall down before the second phase is built.
  
 Emma Dent Coad is a  Labour Councillor for the Golborne Ward. She has her own blog at http://emmadentcoad.blogspot.com      
 
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Comments   

#2 Emma Dent Coad 2013-09-11 16:55
The residents in the Wornington Road block who have already suffered leaks from dodgy pipes, taps coming off in their hands, the rooms are tiny and they can't fit their furniture in, single aspect crappy views, also leaks in Bonchurch Road, very poor finishing, and I'd say pretty well all the traders are unhappy with their lock-ups.
#1 Charlie Caselton 2013-09-01 16:21
Having spoken to a couple of the old residents who have now moved in to the new block they seem very pleased with things. Which of the old residents have you spoken to Ms Dent Coad?

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