‘Luxury’ flats are damp and rotting

Jun 28 2009 by Joanne Butcher, Sunday Sun

He said: “When it rains, the water runs off through the point of least resistance - into the apartments below.”

Mark Gent and his brother Chris are forced to put buckets out to catch the drips every time the heavens open.

Mark said: “We’ve had problems since we moved in two years ago.

“When it rains heavily, water comes in where the blind fittings are screwed into the ceiling. First the blinds fall down, then the water runs through.

“Even in light rain, water gets under the plaster and the walls start swelling.”

The residents, who also report problems with mould and rot, say they can’t sell their shoddy homes. They also fear an outbreak of dry rot, the “cancer of the building world”, after suspected spores were found on the sodden balcony timbers.

Mark said: “People paid a lot for these homes and now they are unsaleable. We just want it fixed.”

Bellway said it was the responsibility of the NHBC, which offers a 10-year “Buildmark” guarantee as insurance for new homes.

A spokesman said: “Fairway Court was built some years ago and is now outside its warranty period. The matter was therefore referred to the NHBC. As a gesture of goodwill we are working with the residents and main subcontractor to try and resolve the problem.”

But the NHBC has also refused to shoulder responsibility.

A spokesman said inspectors had pinpointed the lack of a cavity tray in the balconies as the reason for the indoor waterfalls, which did not meet its minimum claim value. But he held out hope for the beleaguered residents, saying more examinations were being carried out.

The spokesman said: “We are in the process of further investigations to establish whether we can assist under the Buildmark cover.”