Taylor Wimpey plans open space improvements at Saxon Heights

The move comes after relentless appeals from a resident at the Saxon Heights development to improve the space in front of his house and sort the muddy path.

Developer Taylor Wimpey has confirmed it has submitted a planning application to improve an open space at Saxon Heights near the YMCA and it is working on agreeing on a landscape proposal for the area.

But for Loui Reynolds, who has been campaigning for the improvement of the area in front of his house, it has taken too long.

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Mr Reynolds, 24, bought a house in Saxon Heights at the end of 2021.

"When we viewed it, I asked if they were coming back to sort that area, and they said yes," said Mr Reynolds, who is an IT worker.

"But unfortunately, it took them nearly two years to start working on it."

One of the open spaces at Saxon Heights in Andover (Image: Louis Reynolds)

Mr Reynolds has been proactive in his efforts, reaching out to Taylor Wimpey through emails and engaging with councillors to address the issue.

"The whole bit was never touched by Taylor Wimpey since we moved in," he said.

"At one point, the weed was higher than the fence. My house was facing this horrible field. Thankfully, they cut it after I complained several times. Now I’m told that wheels are in motion for the improvement of the space.”

One of the open spaces at Saxon Heights in Andover (Image: Loui Reynolds)

He says that landscaping around the Saxon Heights development has been given little consideration by the council and Taylor Wimpey.

“We pay council tax and a monthly service charge. But this is the quality we get.

“Why is it acceptable for Taylor Wimpey to start building the next batch of homes when they haven’t completed the previous parcels and disregarded their existing customers? I know that Taylor Wimpey and TVBC are now aware of these landscaping issues and are working on it, but they really just need to get a grip on the issue.”

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A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We would like to assure all residents at Saxon Heights of our commitment to maintaining the areas of land that are currently our responsibility. 

“We are in discussion with Test Valley Borough Council regarding an area of open space and will continue to work with them to agree a landscape proposal, which we will implement when approved.”

A Test Valley Borough Council spokesperson said: “Open spaces that are the council’s responsibility to maintain, are managed by a team of professional grounds’ staff. There is a bespoke schedule of maintenance for the development. Some areas are managed in a way that supports their ecology and conservation and are only cut twice-yearly, while more formally-managed spaces have the grass cut every two weeks between the end of March and the beginning of November.”