Parents' fury as garden in new build house is turned into 'swamp'

Furious family reveal new build nightmare after ‘drainage issue’ turned their back garden into a ‘swamp’ – and say their four-year-old son was blamed for the muddy quagmire when they complained

• Ellis Reid and Douglas Horn moved into Hopefield Gardens house in August 2022
• Sub-contractor, supplied by Riverside Housing, blamed their son for the garden

A family have voiced their fury after the lush garden in their newbuild home turned into a ‘swamp’ due to a supposed drainage issue.

Ellis Reid, 31, and her partner Douglas Horn, 42, from Dundonald, South Ayrshire, watched in horror as the back garden at their social housing property became something akin to a marshland.

The couple had moved in August last year, with Ms Reid excited for a fresh start with her son, Landon, and their two dogs.

But in just seven months her dream garden has turned into a nightmare.

The lush green grass has now become a marshy mess with algae sprouting out at the property, which is owned by housing association Riverside Housing.

The pair say they have had enough after being bogged down with excuses. This comes following a sub-contractor, who was supplied by Riverside Housing, telling Ms Reid that her son and two dogs are to blame

Pictured: The garden when the pair moved in August. Since moving, their garden has become a complete swamp, with algae now growing and the grass flooded. When Ms Reid complained about this she was told by a sub contractor to use a pitch fork

Ms Reid is living with her partner and her four-year-old son Landon, at a new social housing complex in the village of Dundonald owned by Riverside Housing

Ms Reid told Ayrshire Live: ‘When I first moved in it was great for the wee man, he could play and have his friends round.

‘Now I just shut the curtains. I’m sick of the sight of it.

‘It’s like having a swamp attached to your house. There is algae growing up the fence and on plant pots.’

She continued to say that the garden is now completely unsafe for her pets to go out in, explaining: ‘We can’t let the dogs out any more – they just refuse to go out in it. They have to use the patio to go to the toilet because they won’t go on the grass.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we had tadpoles in it soon, it’s got its own eco-system.’

The mother said that she is now ‘dreading the summer’ and what the garden will look like, despite wanting ‘to be able to sit outside in the garden when the weather improves but we’ve got no chance of that now.

‘I’m worried it’s starting to trail into the house, when it really rains it just floods, even the patio floods.’

The pair say they have had enough after being bogged down with excuses.

The family say that Environmental Health officers came out to the property to inspect. But the inspectors just told the family that the problem they were facing is a ‘drainage issue’

The couple watched on in horror as the back door of their social house became a marshland, as the family say they are ‘sick’ of the garden and want it fixed as soon as possible

This comes following a sub-contractor, who was supplied by Riverside Housing, telling Ms Reid that her son and two dogs are to blame.

Mr Horn added: ‘The back garden has just flooded anytime we’ve had rainfall.

‘The garden is ruined it is constantly water logged.

‘We’ve had contractors come out on twice. The first time they agreed with me that there was no drainage in the back garden.

‘When they came out the second time they were only here for a couple of minutes, later that night I was sent an email to say the state of the garden was because of our two dogs and my partner’s four-year-old son.

‘It is unbelievable to think they could be capable of causing that much mess. It’s just lazy blaming a child and dogs for their own failings. There is clearly a drainage issue.’

The family say that Environmental Health officers came out to the property to inspect.

But the inspectors just told the family that the problem they were facing is a ‘drainage issue’.

A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: ‘An officer from our Environmental Health team has been investigating a complaint re garden drainage and are discussing the matter with the complainer and Housing Association.’

A Riverside Scotland representative said: ‘We have contacted the tenants and arranged to visit the property and are working with the contractor to help the tenants resolve any issues.’

Riverside Housing has been contacted by MailOnline for a further comment.  

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