'Homeowners should have confidence that the estate around them won't crumble' - MP presses Government on new build estates

Speaking in a Parliamentary debate on construction standards in new build homes last week, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan voiced concerns that building certificates and guarantees only apply to a house and not to the wider development.

She has called for the Government to ensure that new homes are 'built to the quality that residents have paid for'.

The Liberal Democrat MP said she has been contacted regarding multiple new developments in her constituency where residents have "suffered" due to "substandard" drainage systems and "poorly-built" roads.

Moreover, in some cases, she says that residents have been left with the financial burden of fixing the problems themselves.

Speaking in the debate, Mrs Morgan said it is "essential" that not "not only the house must be of a very high quality, but the surrounding estate that the house is built on".

The North Shropshire MP recently led a debate on the role that water companies play in housing developments and pressed the Government to ensure that firms are consulted on sewage networks, and developers forced to build them to "an acceptable standard".

It comes after reports of raw sewage entering homes in Hadnall and Higher Heath.

Helen Morgan MP said: "Building certificates and guarantees provided on new houses don’t cover the surrounding development, leaving residents painfully exposed when the roads and drains are not up to standard.

"Every new homeowner should have confidence that the estate around them won't crumble after they move in. Time and time again, housing developments are not built to the quality that residents have paid for, and the Government must address this.

"The last thing anyone wants after finally moving into their dream house, is to have to deal with raw sewage and pot-holed roads. We need a process that gives people peace of mind, and protects them from the shoddy construction that is all too common."