‘Where will they put us?’ – fears as homes set to be demolished
MORE than a hundred residents are set to have their homes demolished and rebuilt after they were deemed to be beyond repair.
Newport City Homes has announced plans to demolish a number of properties in Newport after surveys found numerous problems including deteriorating roofs and exteriors, damp and condensation issues and a lack of fire safety.
In total, 106 flats in Alway, the Gaer and Rogerstone are set to be knocked down and rebuilt, with work set to begin between winter this year and spring 2022.
Among the properties earmarked for demolition and rebuilding are:
166 – 212 Aberthaw Road (even numbers only);
2 – 24 Penkin Hill (even numbers only);
7 – 14 Kipling Hill (all properties);
75 – 145 Dickens Drive (odd numbers only);
1-23 Oak Road. Speaking to residents set to be affected by the plans, it is clear that feelings are mixed.
‘I don’t want to move. Where would they put us?’
81-year-old Doris Lloyd lives on Aberthaw Road in Alway. She’s lived there with her husband Geraint for 35 years.
“We’ve been here since 1986,” she said. “We had the letter a few weeks ago. They didn’t say they were pulling them down, it was just options.
“I don’t want to move. Where would they put us? They’d have to put you where you want to go, not where they want you to go.”
Doris said she barely leaves the flat she has lived in for so long, and that she didn’t understand the decision given that work had recently taken place on the building.
“I couldn’t understand why they’re putting all the sprinklers in. It must be costing them. About two or three months ago. They’ve done them all in the flats here.
“We’ve been here all these years, we’ve accumulated all this rubbish that they’d have a job clearing this out.”
She added: “We are happy here, we don’t get any problems. We used to with the kids, but they’ve all grown up now. Halloween there used to be eggs thrown at the windows. But not anymore.”
Doris said there were few issues in the flat itself either.
“We’ve been pretty lucky. Now and again the bulbs will go in the bathroom or the kitchen, but they renew them. We don’t do that. But we don’t have no issues.
“Where would they put us while they’re rebuilding it? They’re not dumping me anywhere. What are they going to build? All they can build is more flats or houses.
“There haven’t been renovations here in years and years. They used to come around and paint the outside and all that, but they haven’t.
“You’d need a bulldozer to move my husband. We’ve been here so long now. You’re used to your surroundings.
“I have problems walking up the stairs, but I manage it. There are 16 steps, I get here and sit down and I’m fine.”
‘They’re trying to get rid of us, but we don’t know where anybody’s going’
Chris Wainwright, 34, lives around the corner on Penkin Hill with his father Anthony and his partner. His father has lived there for around five years, while Chris has been there for three years.
“We’ve had a lot of trouble when it comes to repairs,” he said. “It’s only things like electrics they tend to do straight away, I’ve got my kids every other weekend and asked them to fix stuff because of that, and they’ve done it.
“We’ve had problems with the damp and mould. They say they’ll have someone come out and they will come and do the readings. They say they’ll be in touch and then we just don’t hear from them.
“I think they’ve given up [on these flats] and that’s why they’re knocking them down.”
Chris said they received a letter a few months ago explaining the options Newport City Homes was considering, which included carrying out repairs, updating the existing flats or demolishing and rebuilding them.
“We got the letter about two and
We have worked closely with communities this year to identify what work, if any, we may look to carry out in the future RACHEL GEORGE, HEAD OF REGENERATION AT NEWPORT CITY HOMES
a half weeks ago saying they were going to rip them down,” he said.
“I’ve heard from other sources that they were paying £6,000 I think, paying your removal costs as well. But they don’t say what options they’re going to give you to move when you vacate the property [for demolition] or what type of property you’d prefer.
“It’s a bit weird, because they’re trying to get rid of us but we don’t know where anybody’s going. I thought they would’ve made you fully aware of that before telling you they were going to demolish [the flats].”
Chris said his dad, 59, was “all for it” when it came to the proposals, but said his feelings were more mixed.
“For me it’s more memory-based. I’ve lived here all my life, pretty much. I didn’t like the fact they knocked Hartridge High School down and put Llanwern High School there. It’s where I grew up.
“It’s going to be a big change, but these are old buildings. It was just in a matter of time.”
He added that the building had numerous issues with cracks in the walls and “constant problems” with damp and mould which required people to come out “all the time” and fix.
“There’s too many – there’s always a problem in the flat. Not just this one, in other ones too.
“Some people don’t talk about them. My neighbour has a leak from his attic, so obviously there’s water damage in his property.
“It’s probably a better idea to knock them down. It’s going to be cheaper in the long run than constantly sending people out to do repairs.
“With the mould and damp we’re having to go through solicitors to get it dealt with. My dad’s been recently put on a new inhaler and I’m due a review for mine. It does have an effect – not rapid but long-term.
“Every couple of months my dad gets a bowl of strong bleach and wipes down the walls. Obviously you’ve got bleach on your chest as well, but it’s the only way to reduce the spread [of damp].”
‘You can’t swing a cat in here’
Over in the Gaer, Karen Morgan, 47, has been living in her flat on Kipling Hill for eight years.
She originally moved there after losing her house in Broadmead in a fire.
“I like it here. My partner only lives over the road. They sent us a booklet about it [the work],” she said.
“I’m glad. You can’t swing a cat in here. I went into temporary accommodation when I lost my house. I think what they’ll do is something like that.”
Karen said she’d suffered with issues such as damp in the kitchen and breakdowns in appliances over the years which she has often had trouble getting fixed.
“I’ve had heating put in it was so cold in here. I’m on my fourth washing machine and I’ve had two cookers since I’ve been here. It’s not good enough.
“I feel neglected. It’s alright for some people, but I’ve got to put up with that. It makes me angry.
“Just knock them down and hurry up about it. It’s long overdue. I’d like to stay here because my partner lives over the road. You can’t get anywhere no better than the Gaer.
“They asked me if I want to stay here, but if they’re going to knock them down we don’t know long it’ll be.”
‘Change is needed’
Diane Heard, 75, has lived on Kipling Hill for 15 years and said she’s “very happy” there.
“I have enjoyed living here, but they are too small, I’ve got to be honest,” she said, adding that she’s had the house altered and partly refitted as she uses a wheelchair when she’s out and about following health issues.
“I’ve made it as comfortable as I can, but you can’t make it bigger. I don’t know how long they’re going to take to sort it out.
“I’ve been happy here but you couldn’t fit two people in here. They just asked if I wanted to go local, and I said I wanted the same area.
“They’ve got new buildings over there and bungalows. I’m not getting any better – actually I’m getting worse with my legs.
“I’ve had damp but got it cleaned up, got the walls done with some bleach. There is damp in the bathroom which is bad. I try to keep it warm. I have tried.
“They were saying some of them might be three-bedroom houses. They could do that with these ones.
“I don’t know where we’re going to go. I don’t think they’re going to rush this though.”
Rachel George, head of regeneration at Newport City Homes, said: “We have worked closely with communities this year to identify what work, if any, we may look to carry out in the future. The options we have considered include continuing with general day-to-day repairs only, carrying out extensive refurbishment or regeneration, through demolishing existing properties and building new homes in their place.
“As part of this work, we have looked at the general condition of homes, including any damp and mould. We have also considered what work may be required to help homes become more energy efficient and reach zero carbon. We have worked with residents to understand their views on their homes and the options available. This work has resulted in Newport City Homes looking at the option of regeneration in more detail, in some specific areas.
“This includes homes in Penkin Hill and Aberthaw Road in Alway, Dickens Drive and Kipling Hill in the Gaer, and Oak Road in Rogerstone. By regenerating the 106 existing homes in these areas, we can make sure that these homes are fit for the future and suit the needs of our existing and future residents. We have engaged closely with affected residents to understand their views on this and we’ll continue to keep them updated on our progress.
“Our work remains in the early stages, and no planning applications have been made at this time. We have already started to engage with our residents in Oak Road and we expect to start more detailed engagement with Alway and Gaer residents in spring/summer 2022.
“We understand that residents may be concerned about how this work may affect them. Before any future regeneration activity takes place, we will continue to work closely with local communities to understand any concerns and preferences they may have and do our best to address these wherever we can.”