Residents of cliffside apartments ‘scared homes could collapse’

Families living in a cluster of luxury cliffside apartments have been left ‘scared their homes could collapse’ amid an ongoing newbuild nightmare – which Prince William fought to block.

Furious residents of the Cliff Edge development in Newquay, Cornwall were offered ‘high-end’ coastal living spaces – said to be a ‘special and rare’ opportunity.

They were quickly snapped up by owners drawn in by the stunning seafront location.

In 2023, locals fought back against the development over concerns the heavy-duty construction work would continue to cause tons of rocks to fall on to the beach.

They even had royal backing from Prince William, who inherited the Duchy of Cornwall title when his father became King and owns part of the beach, and celebrity endorsement from Love Island star Lucie Donlan.

Work on the site initially stopped after the Prince responded to a plea from the group to use his ‘power and position of authority’ to stop the destruction, but it later continued after the plans were proven to be ‘safe’.

But now those living in the plush properties say conditions have got so bad that the dream has turned into a nightmare – with fears spiralling over its structural integrity and a basement that floods every time it rains.

Residents have spent three years battling issues with the apartments, built by developer Stephens & Stephens – and concerns remain over their homes potentially collapsing. 

Problems have become so severe, according to owners, that a website has now been set up to warn any potential buyers against investing in Cliff Edge or Cliff Edge 2, which is currently under construction.

On the site, named Stephensandstephensfactcheck.co.uk, residents write: ‘The Leaseholders of Cliff Edge feel it is their moral duty to provide prospective buyers and investors with the full information and their experiences so they are able to make an informed decision.’

The page contains photographs of the rain-damaged basement and features a number of testimonies from owners of the apartments. 

One said: ‘I am actually scared the building won’t be safe in the long term. I do worry it will collapse.’ 

Another claimed the development is not ‘waterproof’ and floods are ‘routine in the basement, the electrical room and in some apartments’, while the stairwells and balcony railings are ‘already suffering from corrosion’.

Stephens & Stephens consists of husband and wife Paul and Helen Stephenson. 

SBP crisis management, which handles press relations for the developer, said the company has already been in touch with Cliff Edge’s Residents Action Group, adding ‘the ball is very much in their court’.

A local survey of residents living in the building has been carried out, with further comments posted to Stephensandstephensfactcheck.co.uk on problems they have been facing.

One said: ‘Two years after buying, many residents have extensive lists of outstanding issues that have yet to be addressed.

‘These include missing breakfast bars, cracked showers, significant roof leaks, malfunctioning appliances, balcony rails that have slipped down and defective flooring.’

Another added: ‘The non stop leaks in the basement look like they have caused serious damage and Stephens and Stephens don’t care. I have been lied to over and over and over again.’

Other complaints pointed out the ‘poor quality of fixtures and fittings’, the ‘poor infrastructure, as well as the developers’ alleged ‘failure to acknowledge or deal with defects’ to the buildings.

One angry owner said: ‘There have been leaks throughout the building since day one that the developers have attempted to cover up and play down.

‘The apartment isn’t what we bought based on the plans we bought from.’

Another resident claimed the building was ‘not complying with fire and building regulations’ and described it as having ‘major structural and waterproofing defects’.

One infuriated home-owner added: ‘On the surface, Stephens & Stephens spend a lot of effort on their brand and design, which we completely fell in love with.

‘But sadly it’s a facade for a company that simply lacks care, takes shortcuts and leaves a trail of destruction.’

And on the website, one resident said: ‘Do not make this mistake as you will end up with unsafe and worthless property.

‘This decision will make your life a misery and you will have a lot of sleepless nights.’

Sam Beilin from SBP crisis management added: ‘There are works that need to be dealt with within the development some of which are the developer’s responsibility and some of which fall to ongoing estate management.

‘We recently exchanged correspondence with the Residents Action Group and to which we await a response. 

‘The reality here is that the managing agents are unable to do much because the residents have not paid their service charges which includes building insurance and warranty fees.

‘We are not building surveyors so we cannot comment on the works about which the residents complain.

‘However, the complaint over apartment design is a contractual matter in respect of which they need to take legal advice.

‘Additionally, there is nothing that we can do about the price they paid, as you know property prices go up and down and they would have had the chance to inspect and survey their apartments to confirm quality, before they completed their purchase.’