Daventry single mother speaks out over five-year 'nightmare' living with a waterlogged garden

A single mother of four who lives close to Daventry, in Northamptonshire, has spoken of their five-year “nightmare” of living with a waterlogged garden.

Alice Slater, 30, moved to the new-build estate in Woodford Halse in the autumn of 2017, not knowing what the springtime was going to reveal in her garden.

With no drainage system put in place, wet and boggy areas started resurfacing in her clay-soil garden.

Alice repeatedly contacted her housing provider, Orbit Group, throughout the years, urging them to address her home issues.

She said: “I'm obviously not bothered about it looking like a properly professionally landscaped garden, as long as it's accessible for the children to play on it without us losing our shoes in the bog, getting stuck, or slipping over.

“All I want is for it to be made safe and manageable.”

Alice is currently on maternity leave, having previously worked as a first responder for East Midlands Ambulance Service.

She pays £789.88 a month in rent on the three-bed council home built by one of the largest home construction companies in the United Kingdom.

“It's a nightmare. I wasn't made aware that it was built on a flood plain; otherwise, I would have looked elsewhere to live. It all looked fine at first.

“No drainage system has been put in place whatsoever, so my garden is always flooded. The grass is really boggy,” said Alice.

Alice got in touch with Orbit, her housing provider, several times throughout the years to resolve the issue. She claimed she was constantly reminded she would have to fix it herself, despite rental laws saying otherwise.

She said: “I've done crazy paving with my family members. We've put gravel down, but now there's still such an enormous amount of grass.

“I'm not doing it to get an upgrade or to get a nice-looking garden. I want my kids to be able to go out there.”

Alice revealed that she made a formal complaint and has been "going around in circles" ever since. The company keeps on saying that she will receive a callback on the matter, according to Alice.

“I've tried to exchange it, but people either don't want to move there because the rent is so high or they don't want the maintenance of the garden. So it just feels like a no-win.

“It is a structural and a health and safety hazard, not for cosmetic or upgrade purposes. It definitely needs drainage installed,” said Alice.

This newspaper contacted the Orbit Group for a comment.

An Orbit spokesperson said: “We understand and take seriously the concerns that have been raised. We will organise for an area inspector to visit the property to determine the cause of the issue.”

Alice is currently waiting for the housing provider to visit the property.

She said: “I'd like to raise awareness among people who are considering buying new homes or moving to a property that has been built on a flood plain and to see if there are others in this situation who are fighting for their landlords to keep their end of the bargain.”