First Time Buyers are speaking out about their devastation upon finding out that their new build homes bought some years ago are now practically worthless.
One couple who have found themselves in this situation and have chosen to reveal all to BBC’s Rip Off Britain is Chris and Steph Oliver – who paid £130,000 for their three-bedroom new-build in Bradford back in 2014 – after using the government’s 20% Help to Buy scheme to get a mortgage with a term of five years.
As they came to remortgage the property, the pair then discovered that the building they purchased had not been completed in line with building regulations.
To make matters worse, the firm behind the development – Sherwood Homes – went into administration back in February, and the problem doesn’t end there either, because it then emerged that all 13 homes on the same new build estate are facing the same problems.
It was reported that one of the main issues was that the estate backs onto what used to be a landfill site.
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Despite the site being inactive for over four decades, the council claimed it still releases toxic methane gas, however when building began on the estate, there was supposed to be a protective membrane fitting under the floors of each property.
There is at present no proof that this was fitted correctly, or ever even completed.
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BBC / Rip Off Britain
Chris Oliver – a graphic designer – said: “It’s a mess.
“We feel let down by the systems in this country [and] there’s been so many people who we should have been able to trust and rely on and no one wants to help.”
He continued: “We tried to contact Sherwood Homes [but] there was no reply.
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“They stopped answering phone lines and emails,
“We were in a state of panic.”
Adeel Azfal – another first time buyer who lives with his partner and daughter, Anya – is in the same position as Chris and Steph after purchasing another one of the properties on the same estate for £175,000 back in June of 2016.
Again speaking to BBC’s Rip Off Britain, he said: “We’ve got a young family. My partner doesn’t work so we are tied into what we thought would be our forever home.
“When we realised it was worth nothing it was a shock.
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“I’m in £150,000 worth of debt to my mortgage provider and I’m paying for a house that’s worth nothing at all.”
BBC / Rip Off Britain
Gary Rycroft – a new-build solicitor – advised the residents to take action against their conveyancing solicitors.
He said: “The conveyancing solicitor on the face of it hasn’t spotted various issues you would expect them to spot. In terms of environmental issues arising on the site, the new road and the sewers, these are all fundamental issues and all part of the job you would expect a conveyancing surveyor would do.”
Both lots of homeowners claim that their conveyancing solicitors denied any wrong-doing, but did agree to pay towards finishing the building work.
A spokesperson for Bradford Council also told the programme: “Clearly residents have been let down by the developer and the agencies that worked for the developer, and that is why the council have supported residents through guidance and advice.
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“We understand that a number of the residents have successfully taken legal action against the developer’s agencies in order to rectify some of the problems on site,
“The council considers to be the correct route for residents to be following.”
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Pep Guardiola admits heavily rotated squad was ‘too much’ after landmark home loss
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has conceded that his heavily rotated side, which saw almost an entirely different team from the previous matchday squad, may have been “too many changes” as Manchester City suffered their first home loss in the Champions League group stages in more than seven years.
Man City suffered a 2-0 defeat whilst hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium – a place that has been largely a fortress in European fixtures since the Catalan coach arrived – but the biggest headline on the night was the whopping 10 personnel changes Guardiola made to his starting XI.
It has been argued that Pep has become overly reliant on star striker Erling Haaland (who has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League and UCL combined this season), and the virtually ‘start-from-scratch’ outfit he fielded on Tuesday night definitely didn’t do him any favours.
Speaking to various media in post-match interviews and the press conference after the game, Pep admitted that his wholesale rotation gamble may have been “too much.”
"Maybe it was too much…"
Pep Guardiola reflected on Man City's home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen after making 10 changes 🔁 pic.twitter.com/WBZHwl3ZOb
Considering the only continuity between the batch that faced Leverkusen and the previous squad that narrowly lost to Newcastle United was the still relatively new CDM, Nico González, we think he might be on to something.
In fact, as if the conviction behind the decision wasn’t already questionable enough, Pep insisted before the game that he would have made more if he could, but with fellow central midfielder talisman Rodri still injured, the number 14 was the sole teammate who remained from the weekend.
There are always going to be lapses in sharpness and fluidity when a lineup is shuffled, but it’s fair to say that it’s almost guaranteed when you remove every individual bar one.
Perhaps this was a somewhat covert/loaded attempt to shine a light again on previously mentioned complaints regarding squad depth in relation to the increasingly congested fixture list, with both Guardiola and the aforementioned Euro 2020 winner having flagged their concerns about the calendar.
This is also the second time in just a matter of days that the 54-year-old has held his hands up and taken accountability for making “huge mistakes”.
Not only was it City’s first Champions League loss of the season, but as mentioned, the first and at home in the competition’s initial stages in more than half a decade.
It’s quite a record that Pep has clung onto, which should get plenty of recognition in its own right, but supporters will nevertheless be hoping to get back to winning ways soon and avoid stringing together any more consecutive losses.
Last November was the first time Guardiola had ever lost four matches in a row during his entire career, and with a trio of very winnable fixtures coming up in the league, we would bank on a big reaction in the next game against Leeds.
If you missed the game, you can watch the highlights from Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen down below.
Sankeys nightclub is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s officially happening: iconic local club Sankeys is coming back to Manchester city centre almost a decade on from its gutting closure.
The iconic ‘Sankey’s Soap’ nightlife space – which started out over in Ancoats during the mid-’90s – enjoyed numerous stints during its time in the clubbing world, as well as opening multiple partnered venues in the country and even overseas.
Now, approaching nine years after the shutdown, Sankeys is returning to Manchester in the new year, and Mancs are currently losing their minds.
Whether you are one of those who ‘remember it when’, or someone who sadly missed out on the halcyon days in the old Beehive Mill, we assure you that everyone is in agreement that this is nothing short of massive news…
First teasing the comeback back in July, as our city and the world at large were gripped by ‘Britpop Mania’ 2.0, the largely dormant Instagram account posted: “This week Manchester, and the UK, has been blessed with a homecoming of our very own, Oasis.
“We think Manchester deserves another homecoming… Definitely, maybe?”
The North West corners of the internet and veteran revellers alike were understandably quick to get excited by the potential revival, but nothing else had been said for months – until now.
Confirmed on Tuesday, 25 November, the infamous and storied nightclub’s social media team began by writing, simply: “The Legend Returns” and beckoning “a new era for Sankeys”.
It is still unclear as to where exactly the new and improved club(s) will be, but we do know that the events will be in the city centre. However, we do know we’ll be getting a familiar matrix grid installation as part of the design once again.
They will also be enforcing a strict new no-phones policy, which has become increasingly popular across the scene, thanks to the likes of Amber’s right here in Manchester.
Sankeys first opened in Manchester as "Sankeys Soap" in June 1994.[3] It was so called due to its residence inside Beehive Mill, Ancoats, which once was used to manufacture soap. The basement of the mill was transformed into a club and live music venue#pub#historypic.twitter.com/cnM6Nt23uZ
Sankeys may have remained an active promoter in the days since the building on the corner of Radium and Jersey Street (M4 6JG) closed – going on to become an unsuspecting office development – this will be the first event of the aforementioned next chapter in a flagship venue.
Promising a limited capacity of no more than 500 people, Sankeys is set to make its landmark return on
“We will only be open one night a week on Saturday. There will be no VIP or phones allowed on the dancefloor — everyone is a VIP. People need to stop taking pictures and start dancing to the beat.”
Hordes of clubbers, ravers, students and more are already signing up for early access and general admission tickets for the first two nights on Friday and Saturday, 30-31 January 2026 go on sale at 9am this Friday (28 Nov).
Get ready to grab yours HERE and party like it’s, well, 1994, 2017 – take your pick.
Emily Sergeant -
9th October 2020 
