Neighbours on the vast new-build estate which has transformed the former Rolls-Royce aerodrome land in Hucknall say they feel 'robbed' after forking out hundreds of pounds on a 'poorly' maintained park. Homeowners are charged £305 a year for Merlin Park which residents say has broken swings and was left with a concrete block on the grass.
Various housebuilders have redeveloped the area that once used to test experimental aircraft. And a number of new roads have been named after legendary aircraft of previous wars - like Hurricane Road and Spitfire Way.
Merlin Park is located to the south of Airfield Way and residents claim since they moved to the new estate the park maintenance fee has increased. Melanie Mills, who moved to part of the estate called Griffon Fields last September, said: "When we bought the house, we were told that the fee was going to be £286 a year. We have now been informed that it is going up to £305. But I also know there are some households on the development that pay £330 a year that are in four bedroom property as well."
Read more: Inside 'brilliant' neighbourhood built on former Rolls-Royce aerodrome site in Hucknall
Ms Mills, 43, added: "All my children are teenagers and they do not even use the park, we barely go down there. It is frustrating because we are the ones who pay for it. I know that one of the items in the park has been broken now for the last three years. It does not take three years to get a play equipment item repaired.
"There are more houses being built so the price should be going down. We are paying more and more every year." It comes amid claims that a concrete block covered in metal shards was also left on the grass. People on the estate also said a broken swing has not been repaired in three years.
Merlin Park Limited is ultimately owned by The Land Trust, a charity which was given the site in 2019 by developers of the site for a nominal amount of £1. The reason behind this price is related to the restrictions over the land whereby it has to be used for the benefit of the public.
Ms Mills added: "These maintenance fees need to be abolished. We feel robbed because it is a lot of money of our hard work, and they do not actually provide the service that they can do."
Supervisor Rebecca Middleton, who is 37 and lives on the estate, added: “When we first moved here in 2016, we were told it was going to be £250. Everyone on the estate is really annoyed about it because each year the fee goes up.
“The excuse they always use is inflation, which is fair enough, but we weren’t told that in the beginning. With the cost of living going up, how are they expecting us to afford it. With the amount of houses that they’re building, we were hoping that the price would come down but it keeps going up.”
Retired Ray Shearsmith, 62, said: “With the number of houses they’re building now, you would’ve thought the average price would come down. I think the fee is a bit high, it could be less.
“You don’t see many people there very often. The problem here is that the park is open to everybody It’s not like it’s an enclosed area just for the people who live here.”
Jade Foster-White, 30, a waiting list coordinator who also lives on the estate, said: “I wouldn’t say the fee is worth paying at all. I’d be happy to pay the fee if the park was looked after better. That swing has been broken for a long time, for example, and no one’s come to fix it. If they were actually keeping up with fixing issues on the park for the kids, I’d be more than happy to pay the money, but I don’t actually see where the money’s going.
“They could extend the park and make it a bit bigger or something. That would be quite nice considering that the estate is growing as well.”
Digital product manager Charlie Wagstaff, 28, said: “I don’t mind it. I signed up for it when I bought the property. We’re currently moving to another estate that also has a maintenance fee and they’re upfront with you from the very beginning.”
However, retired Roy Gregory, 73, said the fee was expensive. "It’s a brilliant park, it really is, but I wouldn’t be happy having to pay that fee if I lived here. £100 a year maybe but £300 is ridiculous.”
A spokesperson for the Land Trust said that the residents were charged in line with the legal documents signed when purchasing their properties. The Trust added: "This charge is specified within the legal documents, which also state that the fee should increase on an annual basis in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI).
"The Land Trust is aware of the current squeezes on the cost of living and therefore we work to keep any expenditure each year as low as reasonably possible. The Land Trust instructs contractors to maintain the green spaces following a schedule of works which are inspected regularly to a set standard by our Estate Manger. This includes any damaged play equipment which is removed and replaced as soon as possible in line with health and safety. The concrete block that was placed at Merlin Park was made safe as a priority by our contractors and removed within 24 hours of us being notified." A total of almost 1,000 homes are eventually expected to be built as part of the wider housing development in the future.
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