Legal & General apologises to customers after homes scheme in Selby is hit by delays caused by supply chain problems

However, a woman told The Yorkshire Post that her son, who originally planned to move into the development last autumn, had lost money after the scheme faced repeated delays.

She said: “My son's partner started a new job in Leeds last year, so they had been looking for a house. They came across the development at Selby. We all went to look and loved the homes on show.

"He put down £1,000 to secure the plot, which was half built, and were told that it would be ready in October or November. He secured a mortgage offer at a great rate (2.5 per cent), took on the development's recommended conveyancers and went ahead with progressing the purchase.”

However, later in the year, her son was told his home wouldn't be ready until February or March although the mortgage company had agreed an extension to his deal.

The woman added: “However, in the New Year, he was told it wouldn't now be available until late May or June. He was going to hang on to see if, with another mortgage, he could still buy, as he could not have a further extension on his existing offer.

"Last week, the estate agents rang to say that the homes would not be ready until August. He told them that as they had made the property unavailable without reasonable explanation, he expects them to return his £1,000 and will seek compensation for the time, effort and cash spent on proceeding with the purchase.”

A spokesperson from Legal & General said: “As with all housebuilders we have to work with local statutory bodies to ensure all elements of our schemes are in line with local requirements.

"We are working closely with these organisations to make sure our customers can move into their new homes as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“In Selby, we have been in a similar situation to many housebuilders, and during the construction phase, were impacted by supply chain issues which have led to a number of challenges including a hold up on building cladding and roofing which left modules exposed.

"The resulting delays created some instances of mould. These issues were rectified upon identification and no homes were handed over to customers which had not met the NHBC’s (National House Building Council) quality build checks.

The spokesman added: “All homes which experienced mould issues are in the process of being rectified. No homes will be handed over to customers which have not met the NHBC’s quality build checks.”