A “GHOST” new-build estate has been taken over by wild animals, say locals who have likened it to something out of a zombie horror film.
Fed-up residents in Clipstone, Nottingham, have been forced to live next to the £100million project for nine months after its developers went bust and abandoned all work in October.
Since then, the unfinished homes have been taken over by wildlife -including deer and foxes – leaving it “like something from The Last of Us.”
The desolate scene has made life uncomfortable for local homeowners, who are eager to see the area revitalised and restored to its intended purpose.
Homeowners say the properties were left frozen in time after Sherwood Oak Homes fell into administration last autumn having built just 30 of the 313 homes.
The sudden halt in construction left the development resembling a modern-day ghost town, with half-completed houses standing as stark reminders of unfulfilled promises.
However, there’s now fresh hope for the 26-acre development to be finished after it was sold to Persimmon Homes in a multi-million pound deal this week.
This development has sparked cautious optimism among the residents, who are eager to see the long-stalled project come to fruition.
People living nearby say they now want the houses to be completed as soon as possible as it currently looks like a “model village for testing nuclear devices”.
The sight of the abandoned properties, overrun by nature, has become a source of frustration and eerie fascination.
Others are concerned whether people would want to pay £500,000 to live in their “old pit village” anyway even once the modern homes are all built.
Great-grandmother-of-three June Harrison, 76, a retired control clerk, said: “They’ve been empty since last October.
“They look like they would be beautiful houses so it’s been a real shame. You’re just left wondering all the time what’s going to happen to them.
“It’s a bit creepy to see but now there’s two deer living in there at the moment. We’ve got foxes and everything living in there.
“We’d seen the ones on the main road had been sold then all of a sudden we’d heard they’d gone into liquidation and the signs were removed.
“But I am very pleased that Persimmon Homes has taken it on. They’re at risk of vandalism, although they have security there every night.
“We’ve seen people around there but we haven’t been given a time frame yet for when they will be completed.”
Another local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I suppose its not the fault of the developers but we’ve been left next to an eyesore for months.
“With the animals in there it’s like something from The Last of Us. Its been quite spooky living by a ghost housing estate, as I’ve seen it described.
“They just need to crack on with it now as it’s been a bit of a nightmare. They look like those model homes they build in the US to test out nuclear blasts.
“I’m not sure if people are going to fork out half a million quid to live around here though. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Homeowners on Shropshire’s multimillion-pound Lilly Hay estate are outraged after paying up to £550,000 for properties on an unfinished new-build estate that has been plagued with issues since construction began five years ago.
Residents, who started moving in in 2019, feel like they are “living on a building site” due to unfinished roads and pavements, massive potholes damaging cars, and drainage problems causing floods during heavy rain.
Retired resident Lin Glover, 69, who bought her property in 2021 for £360,000, has been raising issues with developer Taylor Wimpey since the problems began.
The community has banded together to push the management company to complete the site, despite threats of prosecution for withholding payments.
Glover and other residents have struggled with mental stress and practical difficulties, such as crumbling pavements that force parents with pushchairs onto the roads and make paths inaccessible for elderly or disabled residents.
Several residents have had enough, with one father calling quits and selling up.
Another father highlighted the lack of planning, noting the absence of shops and adequate school capacity, as well as problems with overgrown grassy areas.
Taylor Wimpey has apologised and announced that remedial works to complete the roads and pavements will begin on August 5.
Retired factory worker Linda Macutkiewicz, 75, a gran-of-two added: “It looks abandoned and it wants finishing.
“It’s such a shame because they’re such lovely homes and it’s a shame to not see people live in them.
“The houses look nice but the infrastructure is not done. Some were finished but they had to spend the winter empty.
“At one point some said sold on them but the signs went down again.
“Most people I’ve spoken to just want them finished. They just need to be lived in.”
The broader community has also voiced their opinions.
Other residents reacted to the sale on social media with one person commenting: “Lets hope they get on with the job now.”
Another added “I’ll believe it, when I see it” while a third said: “About time. It’s looked a mess for months.”
Gareth Hankin, managing director at Persimmon Nottingham, said: “We are really excited to be bringing the Persimmon brand to this part of Mansfield.
“It really is a great location – within easy reach of the town centre and with a wealth of local amenities.”
As the residents of Clipstone await the completion of the development, the sense of anticipation is palpable.
But the sale to Persimmon Homes brings a glimmer of hope for the ‘ghost’ housing estate to become a bustling neighbourhood, fulfilling the original vision and providing much-needed housing to the area.
Meanwhile, the residents of Clipstone are unfortunately not the only victims of nightmare new-builds.
Camden residents who live in new-build homes so badly constructed they could be demolished are also facing trouble with their new-build housing.
They’re now trapped in “uninsurable” homes and fear their properties could now be valued at £0 due to the amount of defects.
