Long Gaps Between Brick and Soffit

Ok, this morning the bird is trashing something else.

It looks like polystyrene balls but made of paper?

1. What is this material and what is it used for?
2. What damage is being caused by it being removed?
3. Will it need replacing / repairing?

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I am still waiting for the missing bricks issue to be fixed. The developers sent the original builder around to look at it. He confirmed that the carpenter removed the bricks to install the roof work but did not replace the bricks. Said he would contact when ready to do the job but I have not heard anything since.

Could the large gap cause tile chattering to be worse than normal? The winds last night made it sound like a domino run going on up there.
 
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Yes the gap could allow the wind to cause tile uplift through the exposed soffit.
 
I admit to not knowing the process, so I could be talking rubbish, but are houses not 'signed off' by an inspector of some description? If yes, yet again, this must have been an inspector that is overdue for their eye test. Even little things like the white plastic cover/shroud in the last pic on page 1. The bottom part not screwed to the wall at all and not properly reaching the upper part it's evidently supposed to connect to.

I'd be interested to know how houses built today compare to those built during the 1930's - 1980's, including council houses. For example, in each decade, I wonder what the average no. of snags was for each 100 houses built. I wonder if we'd see a line trending upwards from the 1930's to now? Or, in reality, has the UK always thrown its houses up? I can't see how. I was brought up in a 1960's council house that my gran had from new. They were decent houses. I then lived in a house built by Betts Homes in the 1980's, again it was decent enough although not the same build quality as the 1960's council house. Then lived in a 1930's built ex council house, it was totally solid (brick walls throughout) with great sound-proofing etc. I now live in a 1980's built timber frame house, it's decent enough although being a timber built house with paper thin walls, the sound-proofing isn't great.

Surely things should have been getting better over the years in terms of overall quality, not worse. I suppose it's like everything these days, everything built to a budget, cheapest materials used where possible, cheap labour etc.
 
Modern builds faster to heat better thermal qualities faster to cool down .....older properties more thermal mass longer to heat, better heat retention.
Building controls main remit is to make sure the structure is built to conform to building regs...quality and attention to detail of the finishes is ignored for the most part.
Older council built properties under the auspices of clerk of works different story.
 
Absolute w4nk finish. Only quick fix way is to bang a 9mm flat board against that wall and up to the soffit or the birds are gonna have a field day in there.
 
This has now been resolved. The soffits were removed, insulation refitted, new bricks installed (taking notches out of bricks where it would have infringed wood) and new soffits installed.

As for building control the council want nothing to do with this. They state they are not part of this development, and that NHBC would have signed it off so I needed to contact them. I asked the council if they think they have any responsibilty to ensure houses are built correctly but then I got no further reply.



Thanks all for the advice with all of this.
 

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