Residents in limbo with homes facing demolition

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

On a winding and picturesque road there is a crumbling row of residential houses that lie mostly abandoned and set for demolition.

Near the village of Ystalyfera on a quiet and narrow street, the owners of 10 households in Cyfyng Road were forced to pack up and leave suddenly in 2017, after they were thought to be at “imminent risk” following damage from a landslip that had taken place there.

The houses were later evacuated with Neath Port Talbot Council issuing emergency prohibition orders on the hillside properties which prevented anyone from living in them for their own safety.

The orders to prevent people living at the site were eventually challenged by residents in 2018, following an independently commissioned survey which they felt showed they should not have been made to leave.

However, this decision was later upheld after the Residential Property Tribunal Wales found that Neath Port Talbot Council had shown there was a “risk of serious harm to health and safety arising from structural collapse.”

Total disrepair

Residents nearby have described it as a sad situation for the row of houses once described as “a lovely place to live,” with most of the valley homes now standing in a state of total disrepair with boarded up windows, graffiti, and trees growing out of their sides.

Now, seven years on, with most of the houses still standing, some of the remaining property owners say they remain in a state of financial limbo over the plans to knock them down – with one family understood to still be living there.

Gabe Thomas, the owner of one of the houses which he previously rented out to tenants, said with the demolition looming if there was no offer to purchase it from Neath Port Talbot Council he could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket as his insurance company believes there is no damage for him to claim for.

Like others, the family who rented the property from him were re-located to other accommodation back in 2017, though for Gabe he said there was yet to be any resolution or clarity over his situation.

Landlord

He said: “As a landlord I invested a lot of money in to purchasing the house and then in renovating it. It used to be a nice little community with a mixture of people and it was a lovely place to live. At the moment it’s just sitting empty and we feel as though we’re in a situation where there’s nothing we can do.

“We feel we have been badly served by our insurance companies who’ve said there is no damage for us to claim on, but seven years down the line and we’re stuck in limbo as there’s also a demolition order by the council.

“Most of the people have been paid out by the insurance but for the two of us that haven’t we really don’t know where we are with it. It’s frustrating and we would definitely like to get some answers.”

A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesperson said that while the local authority supported residents in dealing with insurance claims, for reasons of public safety a phased demolition of the houses “continues to be the likely outcome” for the now seven-year issue.

Demolition orders

They said: “The demolition orders in Cyfyng Road are being carried out for reasons of public safety. The houses concerned, built on a slope, were seriously affected by landslides in 2017 and after the council evacuated occupiers for their own safety, the owner and occupiers of three of the properties appealed against the action to the Cardiff-based independent body, Residential Property Tribunal Wales.

“The tribunal panel members rejected the appeals, ruling that Neath Port Talbot council’s expert evidence showed none of the appeal properties were founded on solid rock and unanimously agreed the authority had shown there was a serious and ‘imminent’ risk to anyone living in the properties.

“The council has worked closely with those who had to leave the properties, helping with rehousing and giving support and advice. All property owners were offered the opportunity to engage with an independent expert to support them in dealing with their insurance companies.

“The demolition orders served against the remaining properties are still in force and with no stabilisation scheme being proposed by the property owners, a phased demolition of the houses continues to be the likely outcome. Where owners are having difficulties settling their insurance claims, contact should be made with Environmental Health to consider options going forward.”