HOMEOWNERS who attended the first meeting of the David Wilson Homes Action Group on Sunday say the developer has lost credibility over its delay in getting roads in Devizes up to scratch so they can be adopted by Wiltshire Council.

Around 30 from the Hillier Road area and White Horse Way estate came together to form a plan to try to make the builder get on with work that will allow street lightening and other repair issues to be taken on by the council.

The residents were shown a display which included copies of email correspondence between Wiltshire Council officials and David Wilson Homes.

They met at the Hour Glass pub to air their frustrations over delays lasting up to nine years. Organiser David Bellis, who was voted chairman of the new group, said: "The four roads have not been adopted by the council because David Wilson Homes has not brought them up to the required technical standard - despite the fact that the developments were completed up to nine years ago.

"Emails from Wiltshire Council have revealed the problems and directly conflicted with statements from David Wilson Homes that they were working with the council to understand the requirement.

"The requirement seems to have been explained to them with crystal clarity – at least as far as Franklyn Road and Hillier Road are concerned and there’s no immediately obvious reason why people to have to work with anyone to understand them.

“In the event that any clarification is required it could have been achieved in a five minute phone call or a quick exchange of emails.

“One of those emails lays bare the entirely understandable frustration of council officers. The wording is professional and there’s a veneer of politeness but it is quite clear that their patience is being tested by this firm. As is ours.”

He said the delay in doing the work left David Wilson Homes with a significant credibility problem. He believes that the builder is paying lip service to people who have complained as it has started a pre-launch for its new estate of homes at Lay Wood on the edge of Devizes.

Mr Bellis said: "It is a widely held belief in the group that the only reason they are doing anything at all at the moment is because of the fear that we will disrupt the sales and marketing effort for that development."

A spokesman for David Wilson Homes said: "The roads have not yet been adopted but we are working closely with Wiltshire County Council to ascertain all of its requirements to make this possible. The repairs to the street lighting will bring us a step closer to the adoption of the roads.”