A group of residents have told how their lives have been “put on hold” during a year-long impasse with Caerphilly County Borough Council.
The residents, from the St Annes Gardens estate in Abertridwr, are contesting the council’s claims that they are responsible for repairing a wall which collapsed in August last year.
The wall fell on the afternoon of August 20, 2016, spilling on to the path and road below.
The affected homeowners were then sent letters from the council, stating they were required to repair the leaning wall, which was deemed dangerous, or face further action.
Inspectors from the council have been monitoring the wall since its collapse, but residents have refused to accept liability in the belief that it was built before the homes were.
Caerphilly County Borough Council recently claimed it had an agreement with the residents, but it is believed that just one has agreed to accept responsibility.
Rosalyn Duggan, 41, lives at one of the affected homes on St Annes Gardens with her fiancé, and was keen to impress that one resident’s actions did not represent the feelings of the others.
She said: “In no way have all residents accepted liability for the wall. We contest that.
“Any agreement that another resident has with the council should not set a precedent. We as a group have lost a lot of heart in having to fight this, but I can categorically say we do not accept liability.
“We haven’t seen any definitive proof that suggests it’s our responsibility or sits within our properties’ boundaries.
“It’s a retaining wall and was built before the houses. There aren’t any boundary lines which correlate with the house borders, and it’s surprising that the wall had been left in that unsafe state for so long.
“The rest of us are concerned with what the lone resident’s admission is based upon.”
Last year, homeowners were quoted between £11,000 and £15,000 to repair the damage, and many are worried that the value of their properties has taken a hit as a result of the collapse.
The footpath along the wall remains fenced off.
Rosalyn, a business advisor, added: “Lives are on hold here. This situation is affecting house prices. My fiancé and I are looking to buy elsewhere but because our equity on this place is reduced that’s not happening at the moment.
“We’re worried about the price of property and with the uncertainty that the wall could collapse again, we just want a resolution.”
The wall is believed to affect up to as many as ten homes in St Annes Gardens, and the residents – who have formed a group – have previously sought legal advice in an attempt to reach a suitable outcome.
A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “The sections of wall that collapsed at this location are privately owned and the council continues to work with the homeowners to resolve the matter.
“In the meantime the footway remains closed at the site to protect pedestrians and remaining sections of wall that are still standing are being continuously monitored by the council.”
The residents are correct – it is not their responsibility as the Council adopted the Highway and the retaining wall in the mid-1980s but the Council officers do not understand the Adoption of the Highway Agreement because they are incompetent
Incompetence is the keyword – everything they do smacks of incompetence – the senior officers pay scandal is just one such example.
The cost of remedial work is put at £15,000 maximum in the article. As there is clearly some doubt as to whether the homeowners are responsible for the wall why doesn’t the council just pay for the job? The sum involved is less than two weeks wages for the senior council officers who have enjoyed a paid holiday for several years.
I agree Richard and if the Council are so convinced that they are not responsible then they can rebuild it and then go to court to demand that the residents pay for it……………….. but, of course they won’t because if they did then they would have to explain away the fact that the wall was their responsibility because it was adopted by the predecessor Council.