A housebuilder has apologised ‘unreservedly’ to residents of a controversial Kinross estate after leaving them in a Christmas quagmire.
Residents of the Persimmon Homes development at Lathro Farm say cars have been damaged on roads dug up to repair “botched drainage infrastructure”.
And they say it has been impossible to stop carpets from being ruined by mud from gardens churned up by diggers.
It is the latest drainage issue to affect the site on the edge of the town.
Persimmon-appointed contractors have begun works to rectify the problems.
But Dalwhamie Street residents say they are now living in a building site.
They claim their lives have been turned upside down because of the state of the streets there.
Works are currently on hiatus for the festive period and are set to resume in the new year.
Meanwhile, the situation has posed difficulties for locals.
It includes carers struggling to attend those who depend on their services.
And their vehicles have been damaged and carpets ruined by the excess mud in the area.
They contacted local Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor Willie Robertson as part of their efforts to address the issue.
He contacted Persimmon Homes but says this was done “without a positive response”.
But when we contacted the developer, they apologised to residents and said the works “should” be completed in February.
What are residents’ concerns?
Resident Richard Allwood has been a resident of Dalwhamie Street since June 2018 and lives with his wife and two grandchildren, aged 10 and seven.
The first resident to live at the development, he says the issues have been ongoing throughout his time there.
He said: “There is a smell and it goes right through the whole house. It’s horrendous.
“You phone people up and they never answer you – Persimmon just ignores everything you tell them.
“We have two wee grandkids living with us and there is nowhere to play.”
He added: “This was the worst mistake of my life – I came here for a fresh start.”
Meanwhile, neighbours Carolanne White and Debbie Harper say they are at their wits end with the issues.
They also expressed concerns about the constant bad smell on the street and the mess the mud makes inside their homes.
Carolanne has two children and says it is affecting her family.
Her eight-year-old son has autism and finds the smell particularly difficult.
She said: “I had my family over for Christmas and I was mortified having them over.
“We pay a lot of money (to live here) – it’s a waste of money.
“I’ve had to fork out for new carpets and a valet for my car. We’ve all had countless punctures.”
Debbie added: “We’ve all got kids and not one of them can go out to play.
“The kids have got new buggies and bikes for Christmas but they can’t take them out.
“One of our neighbours was out crying over this.”
‘Long-term concern’
And when meeting residents, Councillor Robertson says he had to cycle to the street as it was “almost impossible” to access by car.
The Kinross-shire ward representative said: “I was shocked by what I found when I visited the site.
“The street is full of partly-filled holes and there is mud everywhere.
“Persimmon Homes have told me that they will consider any claims for damage residents make.
“But how to you charge a company like Persimmon for the cost of replacing carpets and other cleaning costs you incur because of the works?
“There is long-term concern as to whether the remedial works will actually solve the problems.”
What are Persimmon Homes saying?
In response, Persimmon Homes apologised but stressed it is doing “everything” it can to keep residents up to date.
A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes North Scotland said: “We apologise unreservedly to all of our customers at the Lathro Meadows development.
“Completing the sewer replacement with the minimum disruption has been our priority and although the works required are extensive we have done everything we can to keep residents informed throughout regarding access and possible inconvenience.
“We really appreciate everyone’s patience while we carry out this necessary work and want to reassure our customers that we should be finished in line with our original plan in February.
“Our dedicated customer liaison has been on hand to help anyone with additional concerns and we would like to thank those affected by the works again for their understanding.”
