PHOTOS have shown how a “ghost estate” of half-built flat pack homes which has stood unfinished is now overgrown with buildings materials breaking off.
The images from the Meadow Grange development in Southend show flags advertising the new-build development of 131 homes on Fossetts Way now in tatters.
The site, at the back of Southend’s Waitrose store, is overgrown with weeds and tarpaulin covering the scaffolding of the homes has broken away over time.
Work was put on “pause” in June 2023 after Guinness Homes said its building partner, Ilke Homes, was plunged into administration.
However the housing firm had said construction would resume this early summer.
But, with August looming and no sign of construction starting, concerns have been raised.
The half-built homes have stood empty and incomplete ever since and have been repeatedly branded an “eyesore” by residents and councillors.
Some doors and windows have been boarded up with construction materials such as gates and bricks have been left strewn across the empty site.
Meadow Grange was described by Guinness Homes as a “a new and exciting pocket of its own nestled between coast, city and countryside”.
The abandoned houses are a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced homes with either two, three or four bedrooms.
Martin Berry, Labour councillor for St Luke’s Ward, told the Echo, the council was getting updates from the Guinness Trust but it “hasn’t moved in months.”
David Garston, former councillor responsible for housing and planning, echoed the frustrations and admitted “these things can be notoriously slow.”
Flat pack homes are manufactured off-site in sections and then are shipped and assembled easily where the houses are going to be.
It is not known how much the houses on Meadow Grange estate were going to sell for but they are part of the government’s shared ownership scheme.
A local estate agent said they would estimate the two-bedroom flat pack builds would sell for around £350,000.
Other homes from Guinness start at £60,000 while the average price for a traditionally built two bedroom house in Southend will set you back between £392,995 and £439,995.
A spokesperson from the Guinness Partnership told the Echo in May: “Due to the complexity of the procurement process to find a new contractor for the site, we have not yet been able to recommence work at Fossetts Way.
“We will recommence construction as soon as possible.”
Plans say the homes boast “high quality finishing touches, contemporary designs to suit modern living, and private gardens”.
The developer stated: “You’ll have everything you need to settle into your new home. Whether you are a first-time buyer, growing family, or downsize, Meadow Grange is the ideal place to make a change and put down roots.”
Scroll down to see more images from the gallery
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