Homeowners forced to fork out tens of thousands after their £400k newbuild was left destroyed by extreme flooding
Families thought they had bought their dream homes with expansive views across the western fells of the Lake District but for those who now own a property on the Edgehill Park estate in Cumbria that dream has become a nightmare.
Every time it rains water swamps their patios, almost lapping into the house in extreme cases and homeowners claim housebuilder Story Homes has failed to provide adequate drainage.
One young family has been left so furious they staged a very visible protest outside the show home on the estate to warn off prospective buyers.
Dean and Rachel Hodgson made a banner showing their deluged patio and added the caption: 'this is what our garden looks like after a small amount of rain.'
Dean then fastened the banner to his blue BMW and parked it outside the estate office to give any potential customers a timely warning.
Other homeowners on the same estate told Mailonline they have had to fork out tens of thousands of pounds to try to rectify the gardens behind their luxury homes.
Story Homes - owned by building magnate and former Carlisle United chairman Fred Story - have rejected the criticism and say that Dean caused the issue himself by installing an Astroturf lawn.
IT operations manager Dean, 30, and nurse Rachel, 25, who have a 14-month-old daughter Elora, bought their four bedroom home for £309,000 in March.
Dean said: 'When we moved in the garden was in a disgraceful state, it was just a patch of mud with standing pools of water.
'We asked for something to be done and they said they would level it out with sand.
'What actually happened was that they dumped a load of sand over the back fence and we had to level it out ourselves.
'We have a young daughter and two dogs so we installed an Astroturf lawn because we didn't want wet and muddy paws and feet through the house.
'That's what Story's are blaming for the problem, when it's clear to anyone that the drainage isn't sufficient.
'At its worst, after a heavy downpour in July the water was pooling on the patio and was up to the level of the bottom of the door and we were just waiting for it to start pouring in.
'Thankfully it didn't but I have bought a pump because this issue is only going to get worse in the wet winter months.
'When I raised the issue I was sent an email by Story's saying the responsibility for ensuring adequate drainage lies with the householder.
'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We are a young family who have paid a significant amount of money for our home on what on the face of it looks like a beautiful estate.
'Surely the house builder should be the one ensuring that the drainage is adequate before they sell the homes.
'We were incensed and when I realised they were holding open days for the new phase of the development, I had the banner made and left it outside the office tied to the car.
'I just wanted people to see what we're going through before they part with a large amount of money for one of these homes.'
David Little, 60, and wife Claire, 47, who run a tanning salon, have seen similar problems on the same estate.
They paid £380,000 for their large detached home two years ago and £1,200 for garden turf.
Claire said: 'We'd been warned there would be what they called a slight incline in the garden but it was actually a slope.
'The turf hadn't been laid properly and was still in sections and within days it was clear that the grass was dead. It went brown and looked awful.
'Then the first time it rained heavily there was just a stream of water pouring down the slope and gathering on the patio just under the level of the doors. We were furious and complained but they didn't seem interested.'
David said: 'After waiting for Story to do something we eventually had to take the job on ourselves and we have spent £30,000 completely reconstructing the garden of a house that cost almost £400,000.
'We had to install sleepers to stop the back of the garden collapsing and build a terrace where the steep gradient had been.
'But even after all that work water still builds up every time it rains and can take up to 12 hours to drain away. When you step on the grass hours later it is like a sponge.
'When it rains heavily water actually comes up through the flags on the patio. It seems clear to me that the drainage system just isn't adequate for the job.'
Mum of two Georgia Davison, 27, who runs beauty and cleaning firms, bought her home on the estate two years ago.
She said: 'We bought in the summer months when it was dry so didn't see any problems, but as soon as the wet weather came it was a nightmare.
'The garden was constantly waterlogged and the kids couldn't go out there because it was wet and muddy.
'We had to get out own contractor in to sort out the problems because it was obvious there was an issue with drainage, the water was just sitting there.
'The ground was so uneven we had it made into two different levels, which cost us £15,000.
'Now we still have a foul smell in our bedroom, which seems to be coming from the drains. You don't expect to have to put up with this kind of thing on an estate where homes cost as much as they do.'
Story Homes told two angry customers by letter and email that they were responsible for organising their own drainage after reporting that their gardens were flooding.
Story Homes told Georgia Davison: 'With the property now being out of the warranty period with Story Homes we would not be able to inspect the drains on your property ...The drains on your property would now be the homeowner's responsibility to arrange their own drainage contractor to visit and rectify this.'
And they told Dean Hodgson: 'When choosing an un-turfed garden option, I can confirm it would be the homeowners responsibility to install the appropriate drainage for their own desired landscaping options.'
A spokesperson for Story Homes told MailOnline: 'Story Homes has carried out a thorough investigation of Mr Hodgson's property and can confirm that the surface water drainage is fully compliant with the original design and construction specifications. The weep holes integrated into the boundary retaining wall are functioning as intended, and no evidence of excessive water discharge was found.
'During our inspection of the garden, it became clear that the homeowner had installed artificial turf after the property was completed. This turf was laid without removing the topsoil or incorporating a granular sub-base or other recommended sub-surface drainage system.
'This has resulted in an uneven garden surface and poor drainage, leading to the pooling of water. Our findings confirm that Story Homes has met all relevant technical standards, statutory obligations, and warranty requirements. We have advised the customer to refer the matter to the National House Building Council (NHBC) resolution service.
'In relation to other residents quoted within the article, we note that one homeowner has never raised any concerns with us regarding their garden, while with the other, we have worked collaboratively to reach what we believe to be a fair and satisfactory resolution.
'Story Homes remains committed to providing excellent levels of customer satisfaction, which is reflected in our HBF 5-star rating and industry-leading Trustpilot score. All our homes are covered by a comprehensive 10-year warranty, which includes a 2-year builder warranty followed by an 8-year NHBC Buildmark policy for structural defects. Throughout this period, customers who remain dissatisfied with the outcome of our investigations have access to the NHBC's independent resolution service. We can confirm there are no live NHBC claims in relation to garden issues at Edgehill Park.'
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