LANDSLIP HOMES TO GO – 3 YEARS ON
Evacuated landslide houses will be demolished
IT HAS been more than three years since residents were evacuated from their Swansea Valley homes because of a serious landslide. They have still not returned to their Ystalyfera properties, which are now due to be demolished.
Back in February, 2017, residents alerted the council to a landslide behind their homes in Cyfyng Road. At three points across the hillside, trees and bushes tore down into the former canal.
Ten households were made subject to a prohibition order, which stops anyone from inhabiting the properties because of a risk of harm.
They were forced to pack up for what they thought would be a temporary evacuation. Some residents argued they should never had been asked to leave the properties, describing the slip as a surface “washout” rather than a landslide.
However, Neath Port Talbot Council’s decision to issue the emergency prohibition orders was upheld by a
Residential Property Tribunal in Cardiff. It concluded: “There is no evidence to substantiate the position that the sole cause of the landslides was water from a blocked gully or broken culvert. Man-made drainage may have played a part in the landslips; but it is not the only part.”
Since then, the council has said the owners have been unable to demonstrate a scheme to be designed and put in place to protect the properties affected.
As such, the emergency prohibition orders have been replaced with demolition orders. There is no set date yet as to when demolition will happen, but plans have been slightly delayed because of coronavirus.
Local councillor Alun Llewelyn said he hoped “action can be made soon”.
He added: “Obviously this situation has been going on for a very long time for the residents. They have been affected and have had to move from the houses. The council has been communicating with the residents and insurance companies.”
A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Following the landslide back in 2017 we served emergency prohibition orders (EPOs) on the owner and occupiers of 10 properties on Cyfyng Road. Appeals were submitted to the Residential and Property Tribunal on behalf of the owner and occupiers of three of the properties; however, those appeals were unsuccessful meaning that the EPOs remained in place.
“Whilst there were slight variations in the EPOs across the terrace, in essence due to the hazards which were in place along the length of the terrace, they required residents to immediately vacate the properties until such a time that they could demonstrate through a ground stability report that the ground beneath and to the rear of the properties could be stabilised.
“Despite having a number of meetings with the residents a suitable scheme was not forthcoming.”
According to the spokesman, the council helped to re-house residents, processed compensation, and commissioned a third party to act on behalf of some of the owners who were struggling to seek an acceptable outcome with their insurance companies.
The landslide area has also continued to be monitored.
“We have also served demolition notices on the owners and designed a scheme to ensure that the demolition does not impact upon the structural stability of the adjacent highway.
“Demolition has not yet commenced, but we are making significant progress with a number of the house owners and their insurance companies,” added the spokesman.