'We're living on a building site - but we're the lucky ones...'

RESIDENTS OF UNFINISHED ESTATE SYMPATHISE WITH THOSE WAITING FOR HOMES THERE

- By EVE GORMLEY & JOSHUA HARTLEY

RESIDENTS living on what they have described as a building site have said they are the lucky ones - as dozens of other households wait for their demolished homes to be rebuilt.

More than 40 homes at the Birch Fields development, in Rolleston Drive, near Arnold, had to be torn down after they were abandoned when builder Ilke Homes went out of business in June 2023.

Housing association Jigsaw Group had appointed Ilke Homes to build 131 factory-built houses, but 43 of them were exposed to the elements for about 12 months when the contractor folded.

The partiallybuilt properties, some of which had not been fitted with roofs before construction suddenly paused, have now become striking ruins amid rows of completed homes.

Those living on the partiallyfinished estate have now welcomed the start of work to replace the demolished homes.

The estate includes a number of affordable homes allocated to people on Gedling Borough Council's housing waiting list.

Recent arrival Rajan Rajput, 38, waited for eight months before he could move on to the estate.