Demolition work starts on newbuild homes over problems with foundations

The demolition of dozens of newbuild homes in Cambridge is under way, because of problems with their foundations.

Darwin Green, less than two miles from the centre of the prestigious university city, is still under construction and has outline approval for 1,593 new homes.

In June 2023, developers Barratt and David Wilson said they had “discovered issues with the design of some of the foundations” of some homes under construction in phase two of the estate.

In a letter to residents that month, the developers said that “some of the properties which require demolition had been reserved by our customers”.

They said that customers had been offered a “range of options and support”.

“We sincerely apologise for any negative impact this situation may have on you and we are fully committed to minimising any impact of the remedial work as much as we possibly can,” the letter added.

A statement published on the website for the newbuild estate, said Barratt and David Wilson have now received approval for the phased demolition of a number of homes at Darwin Green.

“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,” the statement said.

Diggers have moved on to the site and some of the properties have already been reduced to rubble.

The developers said they remain “committed to ensuring that mitigation measures are in place to ensure that there is as little impact as possible to residents and the environment”.