A neighbour has called out ‘poor brickwork’ and housekeeping of workers at a prominent corner site near Reading town centre.
Construction is taking place to replace the former Carters site in Caversham Road with new homes.
The store was completely demolished last year to make way for the 60-home Carters Court development by Bellway Homes.
But Mustafa Chaudhary, an architectural designer, has argued the brickwork is “absolute rubbish” and “offensive”.
Photos he took show the brick on the new buildings whitened, called efflorescence.
He expressed his exasperation at ‘poor brickwork’ in a Facebook Live video.
During the broadcast, Mr Chaudhary said: “We’re gonna have to look at that!
“Look at the state of us, what have we become? Honestly, it’s shockingly bad!
“It’s absolutely shocking!
“They say ‘proud to be a 5-star builder’. Well I can tell you, that brickwork is anything but 5 stars, I’d give that 0 stars.”
He was briefly confronted by a worker, who replied that salt in the bricks had emerged due to weather conditions.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Chaudhary, 54, of Westfield Road, Caversham said: “I like Reading brickwork, I’m a bit nerdy when it comes to that type of thing anyway.
“We’ve lost the art of brickwork, because of bad housekeeping, you end up getting this bloom, these salts that come out. It’s all down to housekeeping, if they took more care, we wouldn’t have this.
“They may be able to clean it off, it’s rather unsightly.
“In planning terms, a corner site should be kept well because it is in a prominent position.
“It’s a bit of a let-down for Reading, I’d like to see them have more pride in their work, and have an awareness of the quality of brickwork in the town.
“If you look at the Victorian buildings, the brickwork in Reading is immaculate, it’s pleasing, it lifts the soul. If you go back 50 years, the public wouldn’t stand for it, there’s no consciousness of the built environment.”
He did give the Kenavon Drive development by Berkeley Homes as an example of good brickwork.
Continuing his criticism of Carters Court, Mr Chaudhary said: “Where’s their housekeeping?
“Get those covered up! If you plough on without, then it’s too late.
“I’d have it taken down and done again – I wouldn’t accept that standard.”
Confronted with Mr Chaudhary’s evidence, a spokesperson for Bellway Homes said: “Efflorescence is a natural, and often temporary, situation that occurs as the materials used in construction release moisture, resulting in salt deposits on the surface of the brickwork.
“Our Carters Court development is still under construction and will be thoroughly cleaned as part of our quality assurance process, in due course.
“As a 5-star home builder, we take great pride in the quality of our workmanship and will continue to strive to build high-quality homes for our customers.”
