Petition slams developers for leaving Blyth estate's roads unfinished, playground unbuilt, and green areas overgrown

A petition calling on Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey to complete road surfacing works, fix damaged kerbs, and maintain green spaces to the promised standard has been online since Thursday, August 24 and already has nearly 600 signatures.

The estate was vacated by its developers last year, but residents claim it has not been finished to an acceptable standard and that features they were promised are missing.

John Tyler, who has lived on the estate since 2017, said: “I think what has happened is everything has just built up and built up.

“They had the excuse that they were still on site, but now they have been off site for over a year and there has been no development from them. I think people are becoming increasingly sick.”

He added: “The roads are not topped, some of the curbs are chipped off, the paths are not topped. Some green space is just left.

“There is actually a bit of green space at the bottom of my street and I had to go down there and cut that myself, because nobody wanted to cut it.”

A lack of maintenance on the estate has also led to problems with weeds and overgrown hedges.

John said: “It is not very sightly. There are weeds growing on the sides of the curbs and stuff like that, because obviously it has not got a proper topping. It just does not look very nice.”

Residents are also aggrieved that a playground shown on plans for the estate was not delivered.

In John’s view the unfinished work is “not a mammoth task” and residents would tolerate the disruption works might cause.

He said: “It is not one where the people on the estate are going to make it difficult for the people that are doing the job.

“The main bugbear on the estate is that the plans that have been promised have not come to fruition.”

John added: “It is not a cheap investment, buying a property. Come to the end of it and you are still waiting for some things to get finished, it is frustrating.”

The petition also calls for a second exit to the estate to alleviate traffic congestion, something the developers say Northumberland County Council would be responsible for.

John is also raising road safety concerns, after one junction experienced its second crash of the year in August.

Northumberland County Council has been approached for comment.

A spokesperson on behalf of Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon said: “A programme of remedial works is being completed as agreed with Northumberland County Council.

“Contractors are being appointed to carry out these works including the provision of a new play area and completion of road and footpath services.

“We are in regular contact with the planning team at the Council and local Councillors to update them ahead of adoption by the local authority.

“Earlier this summer we funded a new footpath link between Crofton Grange and Tynedale Drive and also installed extra barriers to prevent cars entering some of the open spaces on the development.

“We will provide a further update to residents again soon.”