The situation at a prominent Northumberland housing development has improved six months after residents slammed the appalling state it had been left in.
Developer Bellway was heavily criticised in October over a number of issues at St Mary's Park in Stannington, including a large amount of construction waste left on the site.
At a meeting of the Castle Morpeth Local Area Committee that month, the deputy leader of Northumberland County Council called on the company to "get a grip" and provide residents with "what it promised them".
Read more: Some PCSOs saved from Northumbria Police budget cut axe as bosses scale back job loss plans
At the time, it was agreed that the committee would receive an update on the situation in six months time - and at Monday's meeting, that update was forthcoming.
Principal Planning Officer Judith Murphy said: "Bellway have submitted two new applications to come to the committee in July. It does now look better, the bricks and rubble have been removed and the site is starting to take shape in line with what they should have done.
"It's looking significantly better."
Coun Mary Murphy, however, was unhappy at the amount of work it had taken to force the developer's hand.
She said: "Why does it take a community to draw up a petition to force developers to do what they're supposed to do. It's not okay."
Mrs Murphy commented that Bellway was not the only developer who had been involved in such a situation, adding: "It is all of the developers."
More than 300 people had signed the original petition calling for action. There were further issues on the development in January, when Bellway was forced to fill in sink holes that appeared on the site.
The developer said it would complete any required remedial work to solve the issue.
Read next:
- Hexham's 'Toad Girl' mocked for saving thousands of amphibians trying to cross road
- Northumberland nature reserve to become theatre for the night as it hosts Battle of the Bard
- Calls for money saved by Northumberland County Council cuts to be directed at most vulnerable
- Northumberland County Show 2023 - how much are tickets, what's on and how to get there
- Northumberland Christmas Day killer who stabbed woman 60 times will have parole hearing heard in public
