Town gateway like a scrapyard, say fed-up residents
A PROMINENT site next to Llanelli railway station has been branded a scrapyard after scores of abandoned cars have built up there.
Broken-down vehicles have been left strewn across the grass near the station gates, sparking a wave of complaints. Residents said that some of the cars were moved away from the site after they criticised them being kept opposite homes and close to the post office in New Dock Road.
Land owner Dean Griffiths, who has owned the site with Paul Lewis for a couple of years, said they acted when the local authority asked them to move the vehicles in the past and also offered to place a fence around the site.
Carmarthenshire Council bosses confirmed a new investigation was under way in the wake of the complaints.
Paul Knock, of Llanelli, said the site looked like a total eyesore and action needed to be taken.
He said: “How is there what looks like a scrapyard right next to the station gates in Llanelli? Not a pretty sight for visitors getting off the train. Station
Road has a bad enough name without this eyesore.”
Ken Thomas, who is also a resident, said steps needed to be taken to transform the town.
He said: “It’s enough of a run-down area already, just walk around the town – it looks like a bomb site.”
Some also sympathised with the residents of Copperworks Road who have to open their windows to the mess every morning.
Resident Keith Jones said it was in a terrible state and action needed to be taken to deal with the mess.
He said: “It’s an eyesore for the public; just think what it must be like for the residents living at the top end of Copperworks Road, waking up every day and seeing that pile of scrapped cars outside their front doors. It’s absolutely shocking.”
Another resident, Stephen Jones, said the fire service had been alerted to the scale of the mess.
He said: “They were moved but suddenly came back a couple of weeks later. I have been told that the fire brigade made them move them originally as they were a fire hazard.”
But landowner Mr Griffiths said he had acted in accordance with council advice in the past and criticised the stream of needles left by drug abusers at the site.
He said: “People do not like cars being there but I do not like junkie needles being there. What’s the problem with the cars being there? The council came to ask me to move all the cars Christmas time but I have put different cars there. At the end of the day it’s my land – what’s the problem?
“I have asked the council if I can put a fence there and they said no because it’s obstructing the view at the junction. There was a building there 10 years ago, they knocked it down and rebuilt.
“Carmarthenshire Council, the environment and planning have been out. They say there is nothing they can physically do; we are just parking cars there at the end of the day. They are my personal cars.”
Llinos Quelch, head of planning at Carmarthenshire Council, said: “Officers have visited the site over the last year and have engaged with the owner – this action resulted in the land being cleared of waste and scrap metal in November. However, following further complaints a new investigation is under way and therefore we cannot comment further at this time.”