Widow with Parkinson's 'broken' over new build

A widow with Parkinson's disease said she had been left feeling "broken" over issues with her new build house.

Gillian Chambers, 75, moved to her property on Brooks Close in Lyneham, Wiltshire, in 2025 after the death of her husband, John, the previous year.

She said there was a persistent cold draught running through her home and she often struggled to keep warm.

The house was built by Linden Homes which is operated by Vistry. A spokesperson for the house-building group said it was "committed to supporting the resident and addressing any concerns through our customer care process".

Chambers, a former pastry chef, said she had to sleep with an electric blanket at night.

She has also bought blinds to try to stem the cold air which comes from the windows and she currently spends £100 a month on energy bills.

"In the winter it's terrible," she said.

"My brother-in-law came to stay at Christmas and he put his drink on the windowsill.

"You'd think it had come straight from the fridge, it was so cold."

Chambers, who lives with her 100-year-old tortoise Fred, is also concerned about her garden which is sloped.

She said she finds it impossible to walk on it because of her condition.

"It's been very difficult. At times, it has nearly broken me," she said.

Chambers moved into her home in January 2025.

She said she had gone to both the developer and the National House-Building Council to try to get her home fixed.

But a Vistry spokeswoman said: "Our inspections have not identified any build defect that would result in the reported draught and the heating system has been found to be operating correctly."

Representatives from Vistry had been to visit the home and carried out works such as replacing flooring, the spokeswoman said.

A National House-Building Council (NHBC) spokesman said that a resolution service had been offered to Chambers and a builder was sent to "rectify" issues with her garden.

"We take our responsibility to our policy-holders seriously and will always meet our obligations to them," he said.

A spokeswoman from Age UK said while the charity could not comment on the specifics of this case, "we know that safe, warm and accessible housing is essential for older people and for anyone living with a long-term health condition".

She said: "Issues like cold homes or inaccessible outdoor spaces can have a real impact on someone's independence and well-being."

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