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Risca tenants fear repairs delay if transfer fails

RESIDENTS in a Risca complex fear money won’t be available for vital repairs if Caerphilly council doesn’t transfer its housing stock to a social landlord.

RESIDENTS: Mary Barrington, left, and Marjorie Sullivan RESIDENTS: Mary Barrington, left, and Marjorie Sullivan

Tenants in 13,330 properties are voting on transferring to proposed new social landlord Castell Mynydd, with it predicted to be a close-run ballot.

Last week the Argus spoke to council house tenants in Pantside, Newbridge, where only one out of 17 people planned to vote in favour of the transfer.

The opinion of residents at St Mary’s Court, Risca, is quite different, however.

Castell Mynydd promised to spend £173 million on properties, bringing them up to the required Welsh housing quality standard by 2017 – something the council initially said it couldn’t achieve.

But, it has now said it could meet the standard by 2019 or 2020 if people vote against transfer.

Mary Barrington, 75, said: “I went eight days without hot water and was told it wasn’t an emergency. I think we’d be better off with repairs under Castell Mynydd. If the council didn’t have the money before, where have they suddenly got it from?”

Marjorie Sullivan, 74, also described problems with guttering.

saying: “It’s broken several times and when it rains, it’s like Niagara Falls, with water shooting everywhere.

It was repaired last year and the workman said it was in a shocking state.”

The 38 residents, aged between 54 and 94, claimed they faced a long wait for a new gas heating system. It was finally installed last January after campaigning for it since 2002.

They believe transferring would cut waiting time for such work. Ann Lovesey, 66, hopes Castell Mynydd would put a lift in, while Janice Rogers, 67, believes leaks will be fixed quicker.

The elderly and disabled tenants have a warden, but with the provision being cut in other complexes, they are also worried they will lose this vital point-of-contact.