by, Peter Hayman
I remember a few years ago, while we were planning to move to the Forest of Dean for our retirement, thinking that we would have a nice quiet life here, with nothing very much happening. It seems now that I was totally wrong on the first thought, but spot-on with the second one.
In our last update, I mentioned that David Wilson Homes had assured us that the landscaping of the estate would be completed in June. Foolishly perhaps, I, like most people, assumed that they meant June 2021. We are now, of course, into July, without a single tree or shrub being planted, the maintenance company seems to have decided only to cut half of the grass, and the weeds continue to grow unchecked in the gutters. Despite repeated requests, and assurances, that the new drainage project on Cadora Way should be properly completed, and the areas dug up during the works last year tidied and re-turfed, not a single turf has yet been laid, and the side access path at Plot 54 is in danger of subsiding into the, unfenced, new ditch dug alongside it.
The pile of Heras fencing at the corner of Caudwell Close, having now been in situ for about six months, is beginning to assume the status of a modern sculpture that nobody really likes, but we’re nonetheless stuck with. We are now being told that DWH have ‘forgotten’ who owns it, but that it is going to be taken over by EMG and used during the forthcoming roadworks – necessary before the estate is formally adopted by Gloucestershire Council. We are told that these will last for approximately 12 weeks, but have no idea when they will begin.
We can only hope that they don’t disrupt our planned ‘Family Fun Day’ on 29th August – more on that later!
Further to our complaint to the Planning Enforcement department of FoD Council, we have now managed to arrange an on-site meeting involving them, the FoD flood-risk engineers, a senior representative from DWH and ourselves, in yet another attempt to resolve, once and for all, the many outstanding issues.
At the very least, this will give all the parties involved an opportunity to see at first hand why we are complaining so bitterly about the state in which the developers have left Thurstan’s Rise, and hopefully shame DWH into some early remedial action – backed up if necessary by the FoD Council.
The meeting is scheduled for Friday 9th July and we will be updating you as soon as possible after that.