GARDEN HORRENDOUS... 6 months in new home

[sean4646]

I wonder if someone could help me please?
I have emailed the developer 4 weeks ago and he has yet to reply (Seddons) but after yesterday's rain, I have emailed them again.

For the second time in a month I have had expensive bushes look as though they are going to die on me.

I have removed dozens of bricks from my garden but I am hitting solid flooring only 2 ft down and when it rains, none of the water drains away, thus all the roots of my plants are getting waterlogged, and dying.

Here is a photo of the latest hole today. It's really depressing as I have time off work to plant dozens of bushes, but I am worried that I'm just wasting my time and they will all die, because my garden is a builder's dumping ground.

I was the last phase and the second to last house to be finished. I moved in at the beggining of February.

Any advice would be appreciated

[New Home Expert]

The NHBC warranty standards 10.2.9 clearly state:

"Garden areas within 20m of habitable accommodation shall be adequately prepared, stable and provided with reasonable access.
Old foundations, concrete bases and similar obstructions within 300mm of the finished ground surface removed
Subsoil should not be placed over topsoil. Construction rubbish and debris should be removed from the garden and other areas around the home.

Your builder should remove all rubbish and obstructions. If they are ignoring your requests, you can complain using the Consumer Code or Home Builders but it is pretty useless to be honest.

Write one more time with "Now Urgent - Action required" at the top of your letter and on the envelope to the Managing director of Seddons and say if the matter is not addressed within 28 days you will be making a claim under your warranty and will be claiming compensation from Seddon for both the time you have spent chasing them and  the cost of the planting that has now died.