Rough ride on Chedburgh estate as surfaces are left unfinished

A resident on a continuing Chedburgh housing development has questioned why his cul-de-sac has not been completed.

Ben Carpenter, who lives in Benwell Close, said that since he and his family moved into their Havebury Housing property in August 2017 nothing has been done to finish off the pavements and road there.

He said: “My neighbours who have lived here longer than me have told me it has not changed since they put down the first layer.”

“The pavements are a mess and our cars are scraping the road when people pull off of their driveways.”

The three-stage 50 home project by Essex-based developer Brocket Park Limited has already moved on to phases two and three, with the first section, which Ben’s family live in, supposedly having been completed 18 months ago.

Ben and his wife Lily say the state of the surfaces is dangerous for their two children, a two and a three year-old, and for all the children on the street.

He said: “We are quite a close knit group around here and we all often take our children out to ride their bikes and things.

“But because of the uneven and unfinished surfaces all over the place they are constantly falling over and hurting themselves.”

Being in a cul-de-sac, Ben said there was now no need to keep it the way it has been left for the on-going traffic to the other new streets.

The opposite cul-de-sac has already been finished.

Ben said: “The privately owned properties have had both the pavements and road completed. Speaking to the guys doing the tarmac there they said they had not even quoted to do our one.

“I would just like the council or the developer to take ownership and to at least give us a time of when it will be done, as we pay our Council Tax and rent.”

A St Edmundsbury Borough Council spokesman said: “We are aware of the issues raised and we are speaking to the developer to request that the matters are addressed in the line with the planning permission for the site.”

Ben believes the surfaces are damaged and will now cost more to finish the job compared to when they were left in the beginning.

At the time of going to press, the Bury Free Press had been unable to contact a representative of Brocket Park Limited for a comment.