Residents from the incomplete Brambles development in Whitchurch say they are starting to become distressed as the long-running saga continues.

The development, off Chester Road, has seen sewage backing up into people’s homes and gardens because of the lack of a working pump station, as well as an unsurfaced road.

The residents have taken their case to North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who has received assurances from housing ministers that Shropshire Council can take action against developers Sherwood Homes, who have so far refused to carry out any repair work, ignoring all responses and request for meetings including from Shropshire Council.

But John Simpson, from The Brambles, says that Shropshire Council want to recover cost of any work needed from the residents, and not from Sherwood Homes which homeowners say is wrong.

“[The] latest letter to us has cased distress among residents,” he said. “The council now want us to pay £200,000 to get the pump station and road done to the standard they should have checked throughout the build. To make matters work they have told us if we don’t agree to this they will serve enforcement notices on us to recover the costs.

“We have told them we have already paid for these items which they were responsible for safeguarding us to ensure their planning permission was adhered to.

“The council served a contravention notice on the developer which expired December 4.

“The developer did not answer the council. They should now serve an enforcement notice which if the developer ignores again, the council have the authority to step in and do the work and recover the costs from the developer.

“They see this as a risk and will not serve it on the developer, but instead target the residents which they say they will put a charge on all our houses.”

However, Ian Kilby, planning service manager at Shropshire Council, said: “The council fully understands the distress and frustration that residents have been feeling over the last 18 months and maybe more for some.

“But it is a case of it being a complex issue where our understanding of the facts has been evolving and we are actively working with them to help them find an appropriate resolution to the problem they find themselves in.”