ROADS are in such a bad condition on one housing estate that taxi drivers and even undertakers are refusing to travel there.
Sandy Cove in Kinmel Bay, which was built as a holiday resort in the 1930s, has unadopted roads - meaning the council is not responsible for their upkeep.
Despite improvements by the Sandy Cove Residents Association (SCRA), homeowners - including the elderly and disabled - are left to deal with obstacles including potholes and frequent large puddles.
Sandy Cove Estate in Kinmel Bay, Conwy where the roads have been unadopted since being built in the 1930s
At a meeting to discuss what could be done about the woeful state of its roads, SCRA member Roger Norman said: “The roads suffer from a lack of drainage and water is left to soak away.
“This has had a devastating effect on the structure and when it rains. The roads flood making them impassable and difficult for many of the elderly and disabled residents to get out, trapping them in their homes.
“Taxis and funeral directors are now reluctant to come on the estate because of the state of the roads. Emergency services have difficulties manoeuvring patients on the potholed roads.
“We find ourselves in the unenviable position where the infrastructure is deteriorating with no proper drainage and inadequate street lighting. This has lead to a demoralised population and people being advised not to purchase property on the estate by estate agents and solicitors. This means more properties are being rented out to people who don’t have any pride in the area.
“When it flooded in 2013 it really made the roads worse. Since then the roads have become 10 times worse. We don’t expect the council to do it for nothing, we know we have to pay a contribution to the cost of the roads.”
Michael Moroney, has lived on the estate for 49 years, he said: “The builder who built these ran out of money and the council has never done anything about this. And we are trying to get the council to give us a little bit of support towards us doing something about the roads.
“When you’ve got heavy rain people can’t even get out of their homes. It’s a really bad situation.”
The deteriorating roads are often impassable following heavy rain
Sandy Cove Estate in Kinmel Bay, Conwy where the roads have been unadopted since being built in the 1930s.
Mr Norman added: “The residents feel strongly that they are being neglected by the people in charge.”
Following the meeting, Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) has resolved that that the update regarding the prioritisation of Sandy Cove as a housing renewal area be noted, together with the current position and financial challenges in relation to the coastal defences, infrastructure, housing condition and flood risk of Sandy Cove.
Cllr Barry Griffiths said: "The community really needs the Welsh Government and CCBC to take initiative and help find a formula for the future.
"The Welsh government wellbeing of future generations act looks to establish vibrant communities as a norm, yet Sandy Cove is unable to move forward as a vibrant community without infrastructure improvement.
"The priority therefore is for a process of meaningful engagement as a local authority initiative to come, look, listen and consider in consultation how a way forward can be defined."
A spokesperson for CCBC has also confirmed that task and finish group will be established, and will include a site inspection open to all Members of the Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in order to consider options for Sandy Cove going forward.
The Mayor of Towyn and Kinmel Bay, cllr Morris Jones and cllr Nigel Smith - fourth and fifth from left, with residents of Sandy Cove estate. Picture: Kerry Roberts - KR300519d
However, it was also brought to the attention of the meeting that many pockets of poverty exist in the area, which has been noted by Kinmel Bay county councillor Nigel Smith, who fears there could be more estates like Sandy Cove in the future.
He said: “I sit on the planning committee and we have building companies who are putting up housing estates with unadopted roads in the county of Conwy.
“The consequences I feel is that in thirty years time like the Sandy Cove estate those roads could have deteriorated and those companies could have gone into liquidation and there would be nobody there to take care of those roads.
“I think we are setting up the people of Conwy for a fall in the future.”
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