Your committee has had meetings and numerous email exchanges with Taylor Wimpy Midlands (TW) over recent months regarding a number of issues that are important to residents.  We have been dealing with the Technical Director, the Adoptions Manager and other senior professionals at TW.

In this report we update you on where we are with roads and pavements, landscaping and surface water drainage issues.

HG Roads

Roads & Pavements - Herdwick Gate

On Herdwick Gate the roads and pavements were surfaced some time ago and residents want to know when they will be adopted by Warwickshire County Council (WCC). 

There has been some recent work to the gulleys on Webb Road to improve drainage and this needs to be checked and signed off.  We will then be at a stage where the 12 month transition period starts for the adoption by WCC.  Following this period providing no issues emerge the council will finally assume responsibility for maintaining the roads and pavements. 

It’s feasible that the clock could start ticking on the transition period this summer, meaning adoption could happen in 2026.  We continue to monitor the situation.

Roads & Pavements - Herdwick Fold

On Herdwick Fold progress is painfully slow on getting our roads and pavements done.  We are nowhere near adoption. 

There are three main parties involved in this ongoing saga:

  • WCC Planning;
  • Taylor Wimpey, and
  • United Living (the neighbouring Orbit/Shepherd’s Gate development)

HF Roads

The RA Committee has been working hard to discover what is holding up progress: it’s complicated.  Something went wrong with the construction of the junction where Hands Place joins Nason Way (see image above) and this needs to be fixed by United Living. 

Before this remedial work can begin revised technical drawings and plans are required and these have to be approved by WCC.  This paperwork is in hand but no work can begin until it’s finalised.  Only after this junction has been fixed can Taylor Wimpey then get to work on finishing off all our roads and pavements. 

We are frustrated at the glacial pace at which progress is being made.  It is impossible to pin anyone down to a timescale.  Given the dangerous state of our roads and pavements we have asked our Stratford District Councillor, Dave Passingham if he will raise our health and safety concerns with the authorities.

The Committee continues to press all parties to move with more urgency and we are in regular contact with them to monitor progress.

Landscaping

It is acknowledged by Taylor Wimpey that the planting of trees and shrubs on both sites is not up to standard, so they have organised remedial works.  On Herdwick Gate a company called Benchmark has recently planted 34 new trees and on Herdwick Fold it’s Shines Environment that are doing the work.  See image below.

The Committee plans to conduct an audit of both sites in the Spring, so if you would like to join us as we walk round our Public Open Spaces to check the standard of the work, please get in touch. 

We hope that everything will be fine but if not we will submit a report to Taylor Wimpey setting out any problems identified.  We will press for any shortcomings to be promptly addressed.

Surface Water Drainage

We have serious concerns about the way in which both developments are adversely affected by surface water drainage. 

Whilst we are aware that Taylor Wimpey have addressed some specific issues in a few locations on Herdwick Gate, we believe significantly more work is required to mitigate flooding risks on both developments.

We have highlighted the terrible state of the Breedon gravel footpaths on both sites, caused by surface water erosion.  See image above from Herdwick Gate. We have asked Taylor Wimpey to come up with a solution that is more resilient.

In the north-west corner of the Herdwick Fold development, adjacent to the Cala Homes development, (see image above), and along the western boundary drainage is very poor leading to standing pools of water on footpaths and grassed areas.  

Above: The Herdwick Fold Lido.  (Now filled in).

We have asked for an on-site meeting with Taylor Wimpey so that we can go through our concerns in detail.

If you are personally affected by any of the issues mentioned here and you have not already been in touch with us, please tell us your story so that we can make sure Taylor Wimpey are aware.  Contact Us

Coming up tomorrow, we report on our recent meeting with Trinity where we discussed how they will take over maintenance of our two developments.  We also cover the question of the Section 106 Agreement and the clause that obliges Taylor Wimpey to pay Trinity for the first seven years maintenance costs. 

 

HGHF-RA Committee

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