On the 8th January 2023 I published an article on the poor progress being made by Derby Homes on its Council House Build programme.

Derby Homes: incompetent management of new house building programme

The March 2023 report to the Derby Homes Operational Board has just been issued. This article will look into the current state of the development on Chesapeake Road, Chaddesden; 8 units ( 6 – 2 beds and 2 – 4 beds).

Completion Date

In December 2022, the Derby Homes Head of Service stated that completion would be June 2023, having previously reported that it would be March 2023…and earlier.

In March 2023, despite there being no new issues to frustrate progress, the completion date slipped to Q3 2023/24 (Oct-Dec 2023)

In June 2022, the Head of Service committed that completion would be 9 months away; today it is still 9 months away!

Were there any mitigating circumstances?

This is an extract from the March 2023 report.

The complex work that is referred to was the drainage scheme required under Condition 4 of the planning application. The first issue of the scheme was on the 15th January 2021. On the 7th April 2022, 15 months later, the 10th issue was submitted and approved. The planning permission condition stated:

“No development shall take place until a surface water drainage scheme has been submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with the Lead Local Flood Authority”

This would suggest that the committed completion dates made prior to April 2022 were pure guesswork. No comment was made to the Board members that progress was stalled until the drainage scheme had been approved. The implication was that “all was ok and on plan”

The retaining wall referred to was a requirement of Condition 6 of the planning permission. The drawing was approved on the 21st August 2019 and was practically complete on January 8th 2023. This has not affected the building of the houses – and the recent 6 month slip to the completion date.

The fibre optic cable and mobile phone mast were known about when the planning decision was made in October 2019.

Comment

It is evident that, between Derby Homes and Derby City Council, there was no sense of urgency or motivation to resolve a simple drainage scheme in 2021; the site is in the middle of an established estate.

The author of the update to the Operational Board doesn’t understand the state of this build programme and speculates every 3 months on when it will complete. There seems to be a culture within Derby Homes that failing committed delivery dates is acceptable…irrespective of the social consequences.

Who will hold the Director of Property to account? It’s unlikely to be the Managing Director of Derby Homes, Maria Murphy, as she’s married to him!

Postscript

Update on a few of the other properties from my previous article :

• Bute Walk – In December 2022, the reported position was that work had started on site in October 2022 (which wasn’t the case on the ground). This development of 6 apartments has now disappeared from the report! Also no progress on site but then the planning permission has now lapsed.
• Whittaker Street – the most recent report states that “substructures under construction” – in reality there is no sign of any form of building work at all.

• Cummings Street – completion status described as “watertight” – despite a number of missing windows and doors.