Residents complain of rats and poor maintenance at retirement housing scheme

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A housing association tenant claims a lack of maintenance on the grounds where he lives is attracting rats.

David Carr, the Old Colwyn councillor, claimed residents were fed up with properties not being maintained to a high enough standard at Kennedy Court, run by social landlord Cartrefi Conwy.

The housing association said they had a “robust caretaker service” and take all concerns from residents and communities seriously.

The site provides “retirement housing” on Old Colwyn’s Llanelian Road for older people.

Cllr Carr said: “The bin storage is the worst problem.

“Other people come here and drop their rubbish. I’ve had environmental health here. We’ve got rats. Residents are complaining now about things not being done.”

He added: “People are paying their rent every Friday. We are getting big rent increases, but there seems to be a real problem with cleaners; it can go weeks before a cleaner ever comes to clean the communal areas.

“You are paying service charges for them to inspect and make sure things are as they should be, and that’s not being done.

“Tenants are in a worse situation, and you wonder where all the money goes. All they’ve got to do is maintain the properties.

“Well, they’re not even doing that. There are jobs being advertised, £40,000 a year jobs, bureaucratic jobs. The number one thing is they should maintain the properties, and they are not doing that.

“They are not gritting the footpaths in the winter. It’s gone down. I’m always complaining.”

Cllr Carr also told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was unhappy that paid positions were offered on Cartrefi Conwy’s board, including to councillors, which he believed should not be political.

A spokesman for Cartrefi Conwy added: “While we don’t comment on individual cases, we take all concerns from residents and communities seriously.

“We’ve contacted the individual to discuss the matter directly and ensure their concerns can be raised constructively.

“Working closely with local authorities, we have a robust caretaker service in place across our communities, which is monitored regularly to maintain the standards our communities expect from us.

“We are committed to maintaining this high level of service, and we continually review our processes to ensure they remain effective.

“A recent ‘Here to Listen, Here to Help’ community event was held at Kennedy Court, which was well attended and positively received.

“This gave residents the opportunity to speak face to face with Cartrefi Conwy staff and share their feedback directly.”

He added: “We would encourage anyone with concerns to contact us directly so we can work together to resolve them.”

Cartrefi Conwy said it was “governed by a skills-based board, with members appointed through an open and transparent process based on experience and expertise”, adding “political affiliation plays no role in appointments or responsibilities”.

The spokesman added: “Our governance framework ensures no single group can dominate, with limits on local authority representation and a majority of independent members to maintain balance.”