A GROUP of residents living in an unfinished Stewart Milne housing estate have come together to pressure developers to finish off their estate amid concerns over health and safety and a quote of £40,000 just to complete the landscaping.

More than 40 residents of Pencaitland's Castle Gardens estate met at Pencaitland Parish Church last Wednesday evening to discuss a plan of action after the building company fell into administration in January, leaving many employees unexpectedly out of work.

Many of the attendees raised concerns about health and safety in the Stewart Milne development, including over roads, pavements, kerbs, drainage, paths, and lighting and the environment.

Residents repeatedly highlighted the temporary road which was created to help a flow of heavy materials into the site, along with footpaths leading to the old railway line which are yet to even be started by the developers.

Peter Hogan, newly appointed interim chairperson for the residents, said: “The Castle Gardens development in Pencaitland is a lovely place to live.

"The collapse of our building company has left us with some unresolved issues and so we are keen to work together to resolve them.

"Forming an association seems a sensible way to communicate together with the council and with other agencies.”

East Lothian Courier: A large spot of materials has been left abandoned Materials have been left abandoned

Meeting facilitators Jim Curran and Chris Greenwood, who live on the estate, set up the meeting to get the ball rolling to finish the development.

They are hopeful of finding out answers to questions they have posed to Stewart Milne, East Lothian Council and Teneo, the administrators.

On contacting a landscaping company, the two facilitators were apparently quoted £40,000 to complete the landscaping of the estate, which would include trees, parks, gardens and more than 5,000 daffodils.

East Lothian Courier: Fences have been left on-site by the builders

Mr Curran said: "It is great to see everyone getting together and working on this.

"We are all in this together and we need to go forward together to try and get some action done because it seems that no one is going to come and help us."

Mr Greenwood added: "We needed to start something, to get everyone together and to get a positive focus on this to get the estate finished.

East Lothian Courier: Paths are a concern for residents Paths are a concern for residents 

"At the moment, I feel the roads aren't safe due to potholes, sharp edges, kerbs, raised manholes, pavements and loose kerb edges.

"It is not dangerous but people could hurt themselves and it needs finished off because we bought a house from Stewart Milne and we expect it to be complete to the standard that it was advertised at when we bought it."