Bungling builders stick lamppost through new build’s roof with no planning permission – leaving neighbours speechless
A HOUSING developer stuck a lamppost through the roof of a new build, leaving neighbours lost for words.
Builders constructing the property in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, decided to incorporate the street furniture, which stood next to it, in the roof.
But council bosses have pulled them up and the light will now be taken out.
People passing the development, which is not yet completed, were left stunned as they saw the lamppost enter and come out of the eaves of the house.
The property, developed by Ashton-under-Lyne-based Sachdev Properties Limited, was always meant to be next to the lamppost, as drawings for the application showed.
Having the lamppost in the end of the row was never mentioned in papers when planning permission was granted in February 2020.
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In fact, the decision was made based on the proposed plans that showed it standing next to the property, not in the roofline.
But as it became clear the two-bedroomed properties would be marketed with one forming part of the row of four, Tameside Council stepped in.
Now the firm has agreed to take out their unique design aspect and move it.
A spokesman for Tameside Council said: “We have spoken to the developer and they have agreed to remove the lamppost and replace it nearer a neighbouring boundary wall.”
'LIVING NIGHTMARE'
In July last year a family was left fuming when their £600,000 newbuild home turned into a "living nightmare".
David Walker and his family claim the issues are so severe they have been forced to move out of their Devizes house, in Wiltshire, three times since first moving in the year before.
Know your rights
All new build homes come with some form of warranty.
Most often, this is a builder warranty of around 10 years, against structural issues, and a shorter developer warranty against issues with fixtures and fittings.
Registered builders are bound by a Consumer Code, which sets out quality standards.
If the house is not complete at the time it was promised, the customer can cancel the purchase, with a full refund of any deposit or reservation fee.
Complaints can be resolved privately with builders/developers in the first instance.
However, if you are not satisfied, there is an independent dispute scheme that can be used within the first three months of receiving the final response to the complaint from the builders.
Other families across the UK have battled with their own newbuild nightmares.
The Cooks, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, say their £345,000 forever home has turned into a house from hell.
Since moving in in December, the Cooks have found one issue after another, but say that "nobody has done anything" to help them.
They claim the property is a "living nightmare" as problems including mouldy walls and holes in the roof pile up.
Meanwhile, in Nottinghamshire, homeowners have claimed their dream newbuilds have become a nightmare as plans to build a warehouse and car park nearby have been put forward.
Plus, residents who were promised "stunning" £400k homes in a housing development have been left fuming.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Many of those who bought the expensive properties on the edge of Birmingham now wish they could have their money back after facing hundreds of problems.
One woman who moved in with her family two-and-a half-years ago says an independent report found 160 snags or faults in her home.
