A battle between a local developer and residents of one of its new sites has been going on for nearly three years and seems no nearer to being resolved.

Residents of Park Farm Place in Northmoor claim Keble Homes have left the site unfinished and arguably dangerous.

An area that should be communal garden and visitor parking is actually a dangerous dumping ground for the company with chemical containers, a deep drain covered with a pallet and wood with nails sticking out, they said.

Oxford Mail:

They also claim that Keble Homes will not hand over the site management company to the residents although the agreement was that it would be transferred once the 15 houses that were shown in the plan were sold.

The last was sold in December 2019 – nearly two and a half years ago.

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Directors of Keble Homes Ollie McGovern and Jason Hale attempted to gain planning permission for two additional houses that, residents said, were never discussed or indicated on the original plan but planning permission was  refused. 

Residents claim this may be the reason they are keeping the management company with the aim of more development in the future.

A spokesperson from the residents said: “Keble Homes control the management company that looks after the communal areas of the development - not an actual property - but this control should have been handed over to the residents when the last property was sold some two years ago and they don’t seem to be budging.

“It is extremely frustrating, unfair and against our sales contracts.  As purchasers of their properties we are being treated extremely badly.

“Years down the line he will not hand it over to us yet we are expected to pay his company directors and officers insurance as part of our annual fees!

“We have just learned that last year some £2,500 was spent from our maintenance reserve fund to rectify an installation error with the sewerage treatment plant.

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“This fund is a reserve to cover maintenance issues that may occur not to fund Keble Homes’ poor installation. 

“These funds have not been used for their intended purpose and it now means that we have to pay extra to make up the reserve - but what is to stop this happening again as we have no control?”

Developer Ollie McGovern, from Keble, declined to comment.

Oxford Mail:

James Cockle of the Witney-based company Covman, which was appointed by Keble to administer the management company, said: “ I am sorry but we have a policy of not talking to the press.”

Residents have reported that since Keble was contacted by the Oxford Mail there is a digger on site and many skips are being taken away.