CALLS have been made for Dorset Council to resolve ongoing concerns at a housing development in the county.
The council has said it is ‘aware of concerns’ from residents on the Barton Farm Estate in Sherborne by Persimmon Homes – adding that talks to resolve the issues have been ‘positive.’
The authority declined a request to list problems with Persimmon developments across in the county.
The call to do so came from Sherborne councillor Richard Crabb, who had been lobbying for more than year for the building company to complete an estate in the town and comply with all the conditions set out when planning permission was first granted.
Persimmon said a year ago that it would deal with outstanding issues including works to pavements and roads, and would rectify areas which needed tidying up after all the homes had been completed.
Said Cllr Crabb: “The Barton Farm Estate in Sherborne, a development of 344 houses by Persimmon is the subject of many failures of planning enforcement, incomplete roads, pavements and lighting and breaches of obligations under the Section 106 Agreements.
"I understand talking to colleagues that similar problems have occurred on Persimmon developments in Shaftesbury and elsewhere.
"How many breaches of planning conditions, Section 106 obligations and road making agreements remain outstanding on Persimmon developments across Dorset and please will you list those estates?
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“What measures will the authority be taking in future to ensure proper compliance by this developer with its obligations and will that include ensuring that maintenance of public areas is under the control of residents?”
The official response from planning portfolio holder, Cllr Shane Bartlett, made no mention of any other Persimmon developments – although he did say the council was “aware of residents’ concerns over Barton Farm.”
Said Cllr Bartlett: “Officers from the Planning and Highway Authority have met with the developer Persimmon Homes to agree a way forward to address the ongoing concerns.
"These meetings have been very positive… Can I also ask that members (councillors) with a specific concern about a possible breach of planning control to contact our enforcement team, which can be done via the Council’s online enforcement portal, so that it can be investigated.”
Just over a year ago Persimmon apologised for not completing some works on the Sherborne Corelli development, known locally as Barton Farm.
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Residents said at the time, backed by photographs, that there were piles of building rubble, incomplete streetlighting, roads and pavements not finished, soil heaps, rubbish and fencing left behind.
In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in early August 2023, Persimmon South West said contractors would be returning to the Sherborne site to complete unfinished jobs.
“We would like to reassure residents that we have not left the Corelli development and fully intend to complete the site to the highest standard.
“We have agreed a programme of works with a contractor to address the issues highlighted, including the completion of roads, footpaths, public open space and removal of any spoil and waste on site.
“We would like to apologise to residents for any inconvenience caused,” said a spokesman for the company at the time.
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