A PONTYPOOL couple with a young child say they are having difficulty selling their property because of the charges they have been hit with by Bron Afon.

Leaseholders have been told by Bron Afon that they face bills of up to £27,000 to pay for repair or improvement work to their properties, including insulation and re-roofing.

Dawn and Chris Watkins, aged 31 and 38, have lived in their flat in High Street, Pontypool, for about 15 years but are looking to sell their property to move to the North East to be with Dawn’s mother, who has been ill for some time.

A figure of £7,000 to £9,000 was given over the phone for work to be carried out to the roof and cladding to be put on the exterior of the building, but they have not had anything official in writing as to what their total bill will be.

The couple have a three-and-a-half- year-old daughter, Jaea, and say they cannot afford the proposed costs as only one of them is working and they have no money left over at the end of the month.

Mrs Watkins said: “We are trying to sell our flat and accepted an offer back in September but Bron Afon provided details of proposed works to our buyers and they then pulled out of the sale.”

A Bron Afon spokesman said: “The results of a recent survey carried out at the building in which Mrs Watkins’ home is located reveal that no immediate work to the structure is needed, but as a landlord we have a duty to disclose details of any possible future works upon request. Our leasehold management team will be more than happy to meet Mrs Watkins to discuss her concerns.”