RESIDENTS living opposite a ghost town estate of half-built homes slammed it as “an eyesore” and “such a waste” after it was abandoned.
The so-called flat-pack homes at the Meadow Grange in Southend-on-Sea, Essex were almost complete when one of the developers went bust.
The specialist designs proved difficult, as another contractor could not be found.
So the mini village stayed as it was, falling gradually into disrepair in front of locals’ eyes.
After it was abandoned in 2023, weeds sprouted up and the underlay sheeting blew away – letting rain into the buildings.
But now the mixture of two, three and four bedroom homes have been ripped down – leaving only the foundations sticking out of the ground.
The houses included many already fitted out with kitchens and bathrooms.
Locals told The Sun they are appalled at the waste of housing when so many people need a place to live.
And the site remains a blight on the landscape, with building materials laying in piles and concrete beams sticking out of the ground.
Advertising boards remain up around the area as a cruel reminder of what was promised.
The 131 new homes were touted as “a new and exciting pocket of its own nestled between coast, city and countryside.”
And so residents living next to the botched development are especially angry, feeling as if they’ve been “lied to”.
One local said the rubble left behind looks “terrible”.
Mark Poxon told The Sun: “Firstly, I was disgusted with the fact they gave permission to build on the green belt.
“And then all that money wasted and all those homes ripped down… and still there is nothing happening
“It’s all just foundations up there now, it’s derelict.
“It’s a very sorry state what they’ve done there. To build on the green belt and then to leave it like that… it looks terrible.”
‘IT’S A MASSIVE WASTE’
The 63-year-old added: “I don’t think it should have been allowed in the first place. We’ve got this dual carriageway out here and that’s bad enough.
“I used to walk up there quite a lot until they started building there.
“Generally residents around here are disgusted with it and there was lots of opposition to it.
“We will end up with no countryside left or even little pockets of green in suburban areas if we keep going like this. Despairing.
“To be virtually finished and then to tear it all down just seems a massive waste. Especially given the housing crisis .”
Susan, 76, said it was an “eyesore” even at the start of the work, but now it looks “so sad”.
“Now it just looks terrible. That whole development was so sad. It was such a waste.
“They would have been perfectly good homes if they would just have finished building them.
“In the end they just decided to walk away and demolish them.”
Over FORTY empty shops lie deserted in our ‘dying’ ghost town – tourists used to flock here but now it’s unrecognisable
By Nawal Abdisamad
A POPULAR shopping centre is now a shadow of its former self – with more than 40 empty units sparking fears it has become a “dying ghost town”.
Walsall, in the West Midlands , known historically for its leather and saddle trade, was once a thriving retail destination.
But now, boarded-up shops, graffiti-covered storefronts, and shattered windows tell a different story.
Walsall, recently rated the second-worst place in England to start a business, has been left reeling by years of decline.
Around one in four residents are now economically inactive, and nearly a quarter of the town’s 150 central retail units sit empty.
Local businessman Harcharan Pala, who runs Revolution Records, said: “I’ve been here eight or nine years and we’ve seen the big shops like Debenhams and M&S disappear.
“The town is just desolate now, hardly anyone comes here.”
Walsall’s fall from grace has been long and painful.
As big brands moved out, so did shoppers – many now heading to larger cities like Birmingham or retail parks in Cannock and Dudley instead.
“Without those big anchor shops drawing people in, there’s no reason for people to come shopping here anymore,” Mr Pala added.
Walsall Council insists change is coming.
A £1.5 billion regeneration programme is underway, aimed at reviving the local economy and attracting more visitors and businesses.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council, said: “People’s shopping habits have changed, and our town centres need to diversify.
“The council is working to create an environment that attracts people into the town centre.”
But for many residents, time is running out.
Without urgent action, they fear the heart of Walsall could disappear for good.
‘IT LOOKS LIKE A BOMB’S GONE OFF’
Another resident told The Sun: “We watched these houses go up for a year and then in a blink they were torn down.
“What a disgraceful waste of time and money.
“They promised new homes for families and now all we’ve got is rubble. It feels like we’ve been lied to from the start.
“Walk past it now and it looks like a bomb’s gone off. It’s an eyesore and we’re the ones left living next to it.
“People were meant to move in and start their lives here. Instead it’s all been smashed to pieces.
“Millions must have been poured into this. Someone’s making money while we’re left to see the mess.”
A Guinness Partnership spokesperson said: “We similarly share locals’ disappointment that the development was not completed.
“We are doing everything we can to get the development back on track and provide much needed affordable homes.
“We absolutely have not walked away from this development.”
