Pool stop: Discovery Gardens

Residents in Discovery Gardens say they are fed up with “broken promises'' made by developer Nakheel on unfinished public swimming pools more than a year after many of the apartments have been finished.

Residents spoke to XPRESS about their frustration over the lack of finished recreational facilities. Badr Badruddin, originally from Saudi Arabia, moved near the Zen cluster in November when rents were at their peak.

“I've paid rent for the full year at Dh100,000 whereas now it's dropped to Dh60,000 and to say I'm unhappy with Nakheel is an understatement,'' Badruddin said.

Despite assurances, he said the pools were still not completed.

“They have broken their promises to the people who live here. It seems that as soon as the flats and apartments are done the rest of the facilities like the pools just don't become a priority,'' he said.

Where's the pool?

Vanda Turcerova, an expat from Slovakia, has lived in the Contemporary cluster since March 2008 with her husband and two-year-old son. “I haven't seen any of the pools completed around here,'' she said.

In a statement a Nakheel spokesman said landscaping, including children's play areas, basketball and tennis courts, had been completed.

“We are now working as a matter of priority to progress the hand-over of the pools,'' the statement said. “We can confirm that we are in the final stages of development and these facilities will be open to residents as soon as possible.''

Meanwhile, Nakheel has announced a new, lower service charge budget for Discovery Gardens after a formal agreement with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera), which will mean a reduction of approximately Dh5 per square foot in service charges for homeowners.

The new lower service charge rates will be backdated to January 1, 2009, with any rebates for householders being credited against next year's service charges effective from October 1, 2009.