Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” is the well-known adage of Murphy’s Law, named after an American aerospace engineer.

Residents of Cwmgelli Villas, in Blackwood, warned officials of potential flooding in 2015 when plans to build on nearby Gelli Farm were first mooted and, in accordance with Murphy’s Law, they have been proved right.

Whenever there is heavy rain, water from the Taylor Wimpey housing development flows down on to Cwmgelli Villas.

The latest flooding has happened today, with one garden left looking like a lake. It follows Storm Claudia a fortnight ago, when contractors working for Taylor Wimpey to stem the flow of water knocked out residents’ gas supplies.

Caerphilly County Borough Council originally refused outline permission in 2015 for 115 homes, but this was later overturned by a Welsh Government planning inspector in favour of Taylor Wimpey.

At the time, Mark Roberts, speaking on behalf of Taylor Wimpey, said: “Issues such as drainage would be addressed as part of a planning condition.”

The company eventually submitted more detailed plans in 2021 – this time for 164 homes. Given the area already had outline planning permission, there was little the council could do under planning law but approve it.

Since work began in 2021, residents of Cwmgelli Villas have had to endure sleepless nights either worrying about flooding during stormy weather or dealing with the consequences.

Despite repeated protests, representations and promises, nothing has been done to alleviate residents’ concerns.

Blackwood independent councillor Nigel Dix has been involved with residents’ fight from the start.

He said: “For years the residents of Cwmgelli Villas have been flooded out by storm water leaving the Taylor Wimpey site.

“Councillors and officers have held numerous meetings with them asking that they put in measures to stop water leaving their site. However, despite many promises, residents are facing another winter of floods, where gardens and properties are under water, leaving residents to pick up the repair bill.

“Flood water is damaging our highway system and this is costing the council money – money that we don’t have.”

The plight of residents was also raised in the Senedd recently by Plaid Cymru South Wales East MS Peredur Owen Griffiths, who called for greater scrutiny of housebuilders.

He said: “Residents report repeated flooding and site-water discharge entering their properties as a result of the works, with some facing a near constant battle to keep water out of their homes. The stream receiving the diverted site water is now at far greater flood risk.

“Although a grant was awarded to upgrade the culvert, the temporary attenuation pond was breached earlier this month. Additionally, a mains gas pipe was reportedly struck a few times, allowing water into the system and cutting off gas to 45 homes – an incident, residents say, was not properly reported to the authorities.”

He added: “The development has grown by around 40 homes, roughly a third more than originally advertised.

“Residents are understandably at the end of their tether, so we need to know what will the government do to ensure developers cannot simply ride roughshod over our communities and their concerns.”

Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Government, minister Jane Hutt said she would ensure the matter was on the agenda when housing minister Jayne Bryant next met with major housing developers.

Craig Lloyd has lived in a cottage next to Cwmgelli Villas since May. The flooding from Storm Claudia was his first experience of the issue, and along with his neighbour Linda, he has once again suffered with the latest rainfall.

He told Caerphilly Observer: “Our experience has been severely dented by out-of-control circumstances on the housing development, to the point where I said to my wife, ‘I think we have made a mistake.’”

Neighbour Linda Smith has lived in her home for 44 years and said there were no problems before Taylor Wimpey started work.

Linda has a storm drain underneath her garden, which has seen flood water rise up. There is a suspicion that Taylor Wimpey is diverting water away from its site into this drainage system. Officials from Welsh Water and the council have been on site to investigate.

After each flood her garden, which she spends a lot of time in, is left looking like a beach with a layer of silt where green grass once was.

Linda said: “It has been terrible with water bubbling up from the ground.”

She added: “This is making me really ill.”

Another couple who say their mental health has suffered with the worry of constant flooding are Christine and John Wood.

John said: “The council allowed them to start building without plans in place which is totally unacceptable.”

During the flooding brought by Storm Claudia a fortnight ago, residents were left without gas from Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16.

It is understood contractors working for Taylor Wimpey damaged a gas pipe earlier in the week, which led to residents being without heating or a means to cook.

They praised the response from Wales and West Utilities, which sent engineers out to get supplies reconnected as quickly as possible, but the incident has left them even more concerned.

Residents were told that were it not for the fact the gas pipes had been filled with water, there was a chance an explosion could have happened.

One resident left without gas was 84-year-old Pam Meek, who has lived in the street all her life and was born in the house she lives in now.

Pam remembers playing on the farmland that is now a building site.

Her son Nigel, who lives nearby, said: “This whole thing has gotten to me over time. It has been really upsetting for my mother and she’s been really affected.

“It has been constant over the years.”

In addition to the flooding issues, dust is also a common problem for residents – something Nigel suspects aggravated his father Cliff’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease before he passed away in 2022.

Helen Isgrove has lived on the street for 15 years with her family.

She said: “I have written to Taylor Wimpey, the council, and I tried to go to the Health and Safety Executive, but they sent me back to Wales and West.

“It’s just really disjointed. It is going to take a while for someone to take action.”

Cllr Dix reiterated his concerns, adding: “That weekend’s flooding resulted in 45 houses losing their gas supply due to water entering the gas mains. That runs through the Taylor Wimpey site and was damaged.

“It is believed the pipe had been cracked and an attempt to stop the gas leaking out was made as tape had been placed around it. I have asked for a meeting with Taylor Wimpey and council officers to discuss the company’s failure to stop water leaving their site.”

David Chivers was one of the original objectors to the scheme – warning of the flood risk – when it was at the planning stage. He has been unable to sell his property because of the issues.

He said: “The situation has been pretty dire. If there was no water in those pipes, we don’t know what could have happened. We could have had a major explosion.”

David has also questioned other aspects of the development, namely a missing retaining wall.

He said: “They have increased the site height probably to around eight or nine metres, and at the end of summer there was supposed to be a retaining wall finished. They haven’t put the wall up and they’ve started building on top of this mound of earth.

“It’s quite unbelievable.”

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns raised by residents following the recent heavy rainfall at our Cwrt Sirhowy development in Blackwood.

“We are investigating the specific matters that Caerphilly County Council’s Drainage Engineer has raised. Once this investigation is completed, we will arrange to meet with the council and residents to provide them with an update.

“We would like to reassure residents that we are working hard to resolve any issues relating to the drainage on the development.”

A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesperson said: “We have recently received two separate planning enforcement complaints regarding drainage issues and the absence of retaining walls at this site. These matters are currently pending investigation.”