An independent review of building standards at Persimmon Homes has found that the housebuilder’s own workers or contractors claimed that fire safety issues had been rectified on some properties which were still at risk.

The review, led by Stephanie Barwise QC of Atkin Chambers, was commissioned by the board of Persimmon following criticisms of build quality, customer care and other issues at the firm.

It was revealed in 2018 that Persimmon had a nationwide problem with missing or incorrectly installed cavity wall barriers in timber frame properties.

The review found that the inspections carried out so far have been limited to the eaves and have not checked for cavity barriers which should be present around doors and windows and in party walls.

The report says: “Unfortunately it recently came to light during this Review that on one site Persimmon operatives and/or subcontractors retained by Persimmon to remedy any issues with cavity barriers had, on two separate visits to one property, claimed that all missing cavity barriers had been retro-fitted when in fact they had not been. 

“Persimmon’s own Fire Risk Assessor ascertained that the relevant cavity barriers had not been retro-fitted on either occasion.”

It adds: “Although we understand the problem has to date only been identified in Persimmon’s timber frame properties, we suggest that a fire engineer should be asked to consider the different Persimmon construction types, given the severity of this problem and the intolerable risk it poses.”

The review says that the issue is the “manifestation of a lack of supervision and inspection of the way in which building work is carried out both by Persimmon’s own labour and Persimmon’s subcontractors”.

It also criticises the “disconnect between the award of stars via the House Builders Federation Survey and true (as opposed to perceived) build quality, since one of Persimmon’s five star businesses has the highest incidence of missing or incorrectly installed cavity barriers”.

The review found the failings were the result of  “poor culture coupled with the lack of a group build process” whereby it should have set out a rigorous regime of controlled building, based on clear drawings and specifications enforced by proper supervision and inspection.

Stephanie Barwise QC of Atkin Chambers and the leader of the review says: “The Board of Persimmon deserve significant credit for commissioning this Review and publishing its findings. 

“It demonstrates their willingness to confront some difficult truths as they focus the business on rapid change and improvement.”

Persimmon chairman Roger Devlin says: “The review found that Persimmon had focused on policies around inspections immediately before and after the sale of a home, rather than those governing build quality inspections.

“In my view, this is one of its central findings and I am encouraged that the Company is already embracing the review’s recommendations in this area through significant operational investment and procedural change.”

He adds: “Whilst the continuing improvement in the Group’s rating in the latest HBF quarterly update is welcome independent evidence of progress made in terms of customer satisfaction, the review clearly shows that the surest route to improved customer satisfaction is through the delivery of consistent build quality and service and we acknowledge that we still have work to do. 

“As we focus hard on the changes that we are making, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again to those Persimmon customers who have been affected in the past.”

A spokesman for the HBF says its survey is a reflection of a customer’s experience of their builder’s performance through the sales process and their appraisal of their home eight weeks after moving in.

He says: “It is not intended to be a technical check on the house. 

“There are a range of other checks carried out on a new build home by the builder and external bodies, to ensure the home is built to the requisite building standards.”

He adds: “The star rating system is an accepted barometer of how home building companies are performing and has led to a step change in how the industry provides customer service.

“The survey was recently independently reviewed by consumer research experts to ensure it is fit for purpose and all results are independently audited by academics.”