MP for Frome and East Somerset, Anna Sabine, has raised concerns about the lack of meaningful engagement with homeowners, to the heart of government.
The MP addressed the issue directly to the House of Commons, after visiting the Sulis Down residential housing development.
Built in 2019, residents on the site have raised concerns about unfinished and dangerous highways, unkempt landscaping, broken street lighting and building resources left scattered around the site.
Too often, she says, homeowners find themselves caught between developers, management companies and local authorities, with no clear route to getting problems resolved.
After meeting with the residents’ association to hear their concerns she approached developer Vistry directly to request a meeting which the developer declined, instead referring constituents to contact it’s customer services team.
She says the situation raises serious questions about the accountability of developers and the rights of residents once they have signed on the dotted line.
Anna said: “Buying a home is probably the biggest financial commitment most people will ever make. People work hard, save for years and put their trust in a developer to deliver the home and community they have been promised.
“They should not then find themselves spending months or years chasing basic answers about unfinished works, while being passed from one department to another.
“Customer services cannot become a substitute for accountability, and a complaints process is not much use if people cannot get meaningful answers or clear timelines for resolving their concerns.
“When a developer has sold people their homes, it should not be able to wash its hands of the wider development and leave residents to pick up the pieces.”
The MP named the Vistry Group in Parliament and has requested a meeting with the housing minister to discuss how residents of new developments can be given real power to challenge developers.