Darwin Green Public Meeting 7.30pm, Thursday 29th June 2023, Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington

Residents and neighbours of Darwin Green will meet at the Storey’s Field Centre this evening (at 7.00pm Thursday 29th June 2023) to demand answers from Barratt David Wilson to concerns about the homes’ foundations at Darwin Green. Cambridge City Councillor Antoinette Nestor (Castle Labour) who organised the meeting said,   

Barratt David Wilson Homes have announced they will be demolishing 30 completed houses and the foundations on 50 other plots due to failed foundations. Residents adjoining this site will be seeking straight answers from developers requesting records to demonstrate the as-built foundations of their homes are sound. 

The same residents and neighbours of Darwin Green face at least another year of nuisance and loss of amenity due to vibration, noise and dust associated with demolition and redevelopment. They are calling on Barratt David Wilson Homes to provide compensation and to submit a planning application so that the impacts of the works can be mitigated by planning conditions. 

The meeting will be attended by residents and neighbours of Darwin Green, along with Councillor Katie Thornburrow, Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure, Castle ward Councillors, plus representatives of Barratt David Wilson Homes and the City Council. 

City Councillor Simon Smith (Castle Labour) added: 

We have met dozens of residents on the doorstep who have expressed their concern about the foundations of their homes and the environmental and health impacts of the proposed demolition and redevelopment works. We stand by residents in their requests to Barratt David Wilson Homes to undertake a joint review that will determine the soundness of the BDW1 foundations. Residents need answers which we hope will now be forthcoming.  

City Councillor Katie Thornburrow said: 

Cambridge needs new homes, but they must be of the highest possible quality. Our planning officers and committees work positively with developers to make sure developments comply with, or exceed, our high planning policy standards and building regulations. This needs to start with foundation details that are tailored to the ground conditions followed by plot by plot inspections and records of the excavation and construction stages.  

City Councillor Antoinette Nestor (Castle Labour) continued: 

We will continue to support residents until they have definitive evidence their homes have secure foundations and peace of mind about their safety and the value of their homes. For many residents, it is not just about what happens now but also how it will affect the massive investment they have made into securing a home for their children’s futures.