A huge housing development in Oxfordshire has released its latest catalogue of excellently insulated eco-homes, but residents living in the developer’s existing houses say they are “freezing”.

Graven Hill, the UK’s largest self and custom build development, which has featured on Grand Designs: The Streets, is adding 12 new properties to its portfolio.

The latest release at the site includes six four-bedroom houses and two three-bedroom semi-detached houses.

These will soon be followed by the launch of three five-bedroom homes and a two-bedroom home.

The developer said that their properties “Are built using Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) which creates excellent insulation levels, providing greater energy efficiency and reduced running costs.”

However, a dissatisfied group of homeowners – some of whom have been residents at Graven Hill for over three years – have come forward with claims that their houses have not been insulated properly, and that some rooms are “absolutely freezing.”

One homeowner said: “I’ve been in this property for just over three years. From day one I’ve been raising issues about the temperature.

“The third-floor bedroom is the worst part of the house. In winter it was as low as 12 degrees.

“I was frequently told that I wasn’t using the heating properly. Graven Hill’s solution has been to increase the size of the radiator in that room, which they’ve done twice in three years.

“I’m concerned that this isn’t solving the problem, it’s just passing the costs onto me.

“I even found ice crystals on the inside of the plasterboard.”  

Another resident said: “During winter our kitchen and bathroom were freezing, even with the heating on.

“There’s black mould growing because of the damp.

“It’s just a sense that if you pay for something, you want to get what you paid for.

“We want what was described to us, it’s just unfair.”

One of the major concerns raised by some residents is that certain areas of their houses have not been sealed properly.

A third homeowner said: “I can see big gaps. There’s air coming through the bottom of the patio doors.

“The wall and floor junction hasn’t been sealed in some places, and most pipes that go outside the house haven’t been sealed either.

“Around our gas boiler, there are massive areas that have not been sealed.”

A spokesperson for Graven Hill said: “We are aware of a small number of residents who are advising of cold comfort conditions within their homes.

“We have and are continuing to carry out detailed investigations into the possible causes of these issues.

“Graven Hill takes customer complaints very seriously and is in discussions with the residents who have raised concerns.”

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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