Row over new Rotherham housing estate left '˜overgrown with weeds'

People living in new homes at Carlisle Park in Swinton say developer Gleeson Homes has failed to complete landscaped areas to the standard that was agreed in their planning application to Rotherham Council.

They have now submitted a petition to the council and are demanding the planning department take enforcement action against the firm.

Gleeson Homes refuted the claims this week and said they had completed the landscaping scheme ‘where our customers have allowed us to’.

The residents’ petition said: “The public open spaces in particular are not maintained.

“They are in parts unfinished, overgrown and full of weeds. They are incorrectly planted and numerous plants are destroyed and/or missing.”

Carlisle Park is a development of 381 homes and is situated on a 12 acre site which used to be home to a bitumen factory.

A Gleeson Homes spokesperson said: “We have laid out and maintained the landscaping scheme in accordance with the planning approval where our customers have allowed us to do so.

“Some of our customers don’t want us to plant shrubs in their front garden.

“One of the main points of contention is the wildlife area where we have sown wild flower seeds.

“This looks great in the summer and in early autumn we have to let everything die back so that the seed pods can open to drop their contents for the next year.

“During this latter period the wildlife area doesn’t look good and even when we cut the grass in late September it isn’t like a lawn because it’s not supposed to be.

“Unfortunately some of our residents don’t understand this. We really care about our building sites and we hold an annual front garden competition, this year some of the residents at Carlisle Park entered and won prizes.”