An entire housing estate on the edge of the Cambridge is to be demolished after identifying problems with their foundations.
A total of 88 properties will be bulldozed – at a cost of £40million – just weeks after being built.
Last year, Barratt David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire admitted that the homes, at the Darwin Green site, needed to be flattened.
Work to knock down the properties began yesterday, with four houses demolished.
A total of 88 properties will be bulldozed – at a cost of £40million – just weeks after being built
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The tearing down of the site will continue over the course of the next 12 weeks.
Developers said tiles and other materials, including doors, windows, sanitary and kitchen equipment, would be saved wherever possible, according to a planning application submitted to Cambridge City Council.
They added that concrete and brick will be crushed on site and reused.
Fencing was said to have been put up to screen existing residents, while water cannons are being used to help dampen the ground conditions.
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A statement issued by Darwin Green Construction confirmed it had received permission to begin the “phased demolition”.
It added: “To provide clarification, 36 homes currently at the roof stage of construction are scheduled for demolition and in addition to this, remediation will be undertaken on a further 47 plots, each at different stages of partial construction.
“Barratt and David Wilson Homes remains committed to ensuring that mitigation measures are in place to ensure that there is as little impact as possible to residents and the environment.”
The statement said “comprehensive measures” would be carried out to reduce the impacts of the demolition works.
It continued: “Seven monitoring stations will be strategically placed throughout the development, as per the approved plans, to monitor and control levels of noise, dust and vibrations.
“Additionally, fencing will be installed to screen existing residents from the works and water cannons are to be used to help dampen the ground conditions.”
Darwin Green Construction has vowed that no demolition works would be carried out at weekends.
