Disharmony at housing project

Some residents at Harmony Estates, Small Ridge, Christ Church, are upset over the condition of the houses in Phase 1 of the development.

Yesterday, new developers – the Versatile Group – held an open house and media launch for Phase 2 of the development but those already in Phase 1 for about four years had some issues they wanted aired.

However, Minister of Housing and Member of Parliament for the area, Dwight Sutherland, has vowed to iron out a solution.

The most pressing matter surrounded flooding and an open well which the residents said was a disaster waiting to happen.

They pointed out that as the potential homeowners filed into the area for the open day some of them parked close to the nearby well in a grass covered area.

“There is an open well we have been asking for years to be covered. But still, the drainage is poor and out here floods when it rains heavily to the point some people can’t get into their houses – some cars can’t even drive through, that’s how deep the water can get,” said Andró Spooner who, along with others were speaking to the Sunday Sun just before the official launch.

The group said the issues with the houses ranged from holes in the roofs to tiles dropping off bathroom walls and leaking windows.

Simone Coppin said: “They tell us we getting a gym, a supermarket and a play park and nothing happen yet but that is what they also telling the new people looking at Phase 2. At first, everything was lovely but a few months afterwards, it was another story. They even say we keeping noise for cheap houses.”

Jason Haynes took it upon himself to clean out the huge amount of dirt which built up in the drainage system. He said it was not a completely selfless act as it was in his own self-interest.

“All these wells full of dirt so if I don’t clean out the drain, all here will flood . . . especially my house. That is my only problem,” he said.

Some of the other issues included general maintenance of the grounds, the disposal of several derelict cars in the area and the unfinished nature of Phase 1.

When approached with the concerns, Sutherland said he was aware of some of them as he was accustomed to spending time with the people in the development.

“I am often there and had actually raised some of these concerns [previously]. Now there is new management of Harmony Estates and I have met with the chief executive officer Raj Prakash, I have also spoken to the management of the Versatile Group of Companies and we will have a sit-down this week and thereafter we will hold a town hall meeting with the residents to discuss the issues and reach resolutions,” he said.

Sutherland said, even though there was a whole new phase and a new development team, the people from Phase 1 could not be disregarded.

One resident also said that the communication from the developers was “terrible”.

“We only found out there was to be an open day here [today] on social media. We didn’t know there was a new developer until one day a WhatsApp appeared in our group chat saying we had a new developer and they wanted to have open communication – yet we didn’t even know the minister would be here and we were not informed a part of the district would be closed off,” said Fay Williams. ( CA)

From left: Harmony Estates Phase 1 homeowners “Lashley”, Fay Williams, Jennifer Haynes and Andró Spooner want their concerns addressed.