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Residents forced to pay out thousands of pounds to fix their faulty new-build homes on a Caerphilly estate will be reimbursed, Caerphilly Observer understands.

Residents living on Mill View, Caerphilly, had reported major faults with their new-build Charles Church homes, which were built in 2013.

But since their plight was featured by Caerphilly Observer, developer Persimmon, which owns the Charles Church brand, has now promised residents that an independent surveyor will inspect the outsides of their homes.

Caerphilly’s Member of Parliament Wayne David, who has been fighting the case on residents’ behalf, welcomed the stance from Persimmon after taking the issue up with the firm’s managing director Martin Smith.

Mr David said: “I am pleased that Persimmon has responded in a positive way to the very real concerns that residents have. However, it is important to hold Persimmon to their word and to make sure that the inspections and the remedial work are thorough and undertaken quickly.”

Mill View resident Maureen Waterhouse, 81, had been forced to pay £36,000 from her savings to rebuild the entire front of her home; with poorly-fitted windows allowing water to get in between the rendering and the membrane and rotting the house’s wooden frame.

The problems began around two to three years after Ms Waterhouse had moved into her home – and after the two-year warranty had expired.

Ms Waterhouse said she was unable to claim on her building’s LABC insurance as insurers deemed it “poorly built” and insisted responsibility lay with Charles Church.

After receiving a letter from Persimmon explaining their plans to carry out an inspection, Ms Waterhouse said she was “relieved”.

“It took contacting the MP to set the ball rolling. It’s been frustrating,” she said.

Ms Waterhouse called on Persimmon to inspect the inside of the houses, not just the outsides.

Her daughter, Sherald Waterhouse-Trew, said she had spoken with the company’s managing director, Mr Smith, who promised her mother would be reimbursed.

Ms Waterhouse-Trew said: “It should never have come to this. Let’s hope they do reimburse everyone.”

She demanded a full inspection is carried out on the homes and for compensation to be paid out to affected residents.

“My mother is not the same person; she panics at every little noise in the house. We don’t know what could go wrong next.”

She added: “She wanted to buy a new-build because she thought there would be less problems and she would be covered by the warranty.

“But the ten-year warranty is not worth the paper it’s printed on.”

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes East Wales said: “We do not comment on individual financial matters, but we have apologised to Ms Waterhouse and have worked with the customer to ensure the problem is fully rectified to her satisfaction.

“We have written to all residents on the development. An independent surveyor will visit each property before the end of March to establish whether any remedial works are required. We are committed to carrying out any required work as soon as possible.”