Residents of a new housing estate on the edge of Charminster say Wyatt Homes has left the site unfinished, unsightly, and dangerous – yet they are expected to stump up £400 a year for its maintenance.

The Charminster Farm development – four phases plus projected fifth and sixth phases – plus another plan by Bellway Homes could add up to nearly 600 homes surrounding the western edge of the village.

Residents of phase three say a drainage basin next to the play area is dangerous. They claim it fills and stays full during heavy rain, and not only does this risk flooding the A37 but a child could easily fall in due to inadequate screening – the fence is not high enough to stop a child climbing over and indeed, they could even climb through it.

They also say they have been waiting for promised landscaping for three years – but wildflower meadows have not been provided, lots of promised trees, bushes and hedges have not been planted, and much of what has been planted has died – well before this summer’s drought.

Drainage engineer Mike Briggs moved in three years ago. He said: “The basin is supposed to drain away very quickly but doesn’t. Wyatt Homes stated in a ‘typical annual’ storm it ‘would fill by just over 50mm and would drain to empty within four minutes’. In the last two winters it has been at least 10 times this depth on at least eight occasions, and it can take well over a day to drain out. Dorset Council’s flood team are now reviewing this issue.

“Should there be an incident with a child in the water Wyatt will be so culpable. They have been told of serious concerns, on multiple occasions, yet they have ignored them.”

The landscaping and play area are part of a Section 106 agreement between the developer and the council, which must be signed off by Dorset Council. Mike says the council’s planning enforcement team ‘is considering potential breaches of the S106’.

He added: “The S106 agreement also clearly required Wyatt Homes to offer first refusal on the new play park to our parish council, with about £120,000 for maintaining it, but the parish council were not aware of this until I told them. Wyatt Homes only offered the play park and the £120,000 once I had made the parish council aware of this – they had decided to transfer it to the residents’ management company instead.”

The rest of the site has now been handed to a property management agency to maintain, leaving residents to pay £400 a year per property, before it is even finished.

Mike said: “I sent Wyatt a document in March, with information on some of the landscaping issues and the fact that the drainage basin has far deeper water, far more often, for far longer, with a non-toddler-proof fence, right next to the play area.

“Wyatt failed to respond, despite being given every opportunity to defend themselves. With this attitude I question their suitability for future developments, such as Charminster Farm Phase 5 (currently under consideration) and Norchester.”

A spokesperson for Wyatt Homes addressed the landscaping issues, but remained silent on the potential danger posed by the drainage basin.

They said: “As part of our standard quality assurance process, applied across all our sites, an independent landscape audit has been carried out at Charminster Farm. This identified additional planting is required to complete the approved landscaping. Wyatt Homes has scheduled this planting for completion by the end of October, weather permitting.

“We understand how important the completed landscaping is to the Charminster Farm community and once the additional planting has been completed, Dorset Council will inspect and certify the landscape works, confirming the development meets the approved scheme.

“All residents pay an annual estate charge to managing agents Symonds & Sampson, which covers the management and maintenance services at Charminster Farm. This charge is unaffected by the additional planting works and continues to ensure the development’s communal areas and landscaping are appropriately maintained on an ongoing basis.”