AN INVESTIGATION into the legality of a multi-million-pound development is still ongoing while residents express shock that building work is continuing.
BCP Council has been investigating a large housing development in Meriden Close, Canford Cliffs, since at least March after residents claimed it had broken a restrictive covenant agreement.
As reported, Bayview Developments’ plans for two semi-detached houses in the cul-de-sac were approved after a previous application for three town houses were refused.
However, residents said the under-construction properties had “got way out of hand” with the addition of an annex being built on land understood to be protected by a restrictive covenant.
Restrictive covenants are binding conditions that are written into a property’s deeds by a seller to determine what a homeowner can or cannot do with their land. Failure to live up to the contract can result in fines or even legal action.
Following a report by the Daily Echo in early March, residents claim the developers “stopped work voluntarily” as BCP Council confirmed they were investigating. However, around three weeks later the work reportedly recommenced.
Two months on and the authority says the enforcement investigation “remains ongoing” which means they are unable to comment further. They did, however, confirm that a stop notice has not been issued for the development.
A resident living in the adjacent Ravine Court complex, who did not wish to be identified, said: “Work is definitely still going on. There were workers on site all day yesterday (Tuesday, May 3) and they're here again today (Wednesday). Hard to know exactly what they're working on but lots of them are here.”
Meriden Close resident Clive Crossley, 91, previously told the Echo: “Everything is being done incrementally. You don’t notice it until it’s there.
“It appears they keep changing things in the application.”
The private Meriden Close is owned by Jacgilden Properties and a covenant was reportedly agreed for all five plots of land preventing certain developments from taking place.
Gillian Brookes of Jacgilden previously said they were “aware of the matter”.
The Daily Echo has approached Bayview Developments to comment.
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