Anger over delays to Chancel Meadows housing development in Whitby

Charlie Mainwaring moved back to Whitby with her partner and two children last summer.

Having reserved a plot at Chancel Meadows, the residential development on Stakesby Road, her family was guaranteed that houses would be ready by August 2018 and was therefore advised to apply for a mortgage in view of the imminent move in.

However, as of February 2019, Charlie’s family find themselves to be “practically homeless” as, six months on, the house they were promised still isn’t ready.She explained: “We moved over from Manchester after being assured that our home would be ready in August and since then we’ve been living in one bedroom at my parents’ two-bedroom flat. All of our belongings are being held in storage at a cost of hundreds of pounds per month. It’s an absolute disgrace.

“Our mortgage application expired in January. Fortunately, we’ve managed to secure an extension but others haven’t been so lucky.

“There are people who have been forced to go into private accommodation having had to move out from their previous homes and people who bought properties with the intention to sell them that have lost buyers because people can’t afford to wait indefinitely.”

Of the 190 properties that have been built as part of the project, which is overseen by housing developer Thirteen, so far only 65 have been handed over. Frustration is building up among residents, as they say they feel “ignored” by the developers who won’t update them either on the status of the site nor on the cause of the delays.

“We keep asking what’s going on and when we’re going to be able to move in but they’re very sketchy about giving us any details”, added Charlie.

“It is quite obvious that they just do not care about their clients and the local residents of this town at all.”

A spokesperson from Thirteen said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience this delay is causing to people who are waiting for their new home.

“Although Thirteen is selling and letting the properties at Chancel Meadows the construction is being undertaken on our behalf by Keir Living, under the management of S.Harrison Developments.

“There have been several design issues relating to the site, not the homes themselves, which have caused this hold-up. We are continually in touch with our partners and hope to confirm a completion date to customers in the next few weeks.”