PENSIONERS have vented their anger at paying for the upkeep of a communal area which they claim has been continually left unattended.

Residents of Pwll y Waun, Colliery Road, Chirk, are furious with the Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd housing group for allowing huge weeds to grow in the quiet estate’s community garden area.

They also claim no work has been done to look after the plants in it.

Members of the estate, which links Colliery Road to the public car park behind Chirk Royal British Legion, pay about £5 per month to cover the costs of the work that they say has not been performed.

The housing group has apologised and said it is looking to reach a satisfactory conclusion to the matter.

Douglas Sheern, 81, said he had seen Tai Clwyd staff tending to the communal garden area just once in the past two years.

“They charge us for the work to be carried out and yet they never actually do anything,” he said. “We are paying for nothing.

“This garden could be so lovely but they do nothing about it and it is awful.”

His neighbour, Heather Pearce, who lives adjacent to the communal garden, said:
“People think it’s wasteland and rubbish has been thrown in there.

“There was beautiful planting there but it now looks so untidy.

“It has intruded into my garden and I’ve had to trim some of it, which isn’t my job.

“If I stood in there you probably wouldn’t see me, some of the weeds are that high.

“It is not like we haven’t done anything to try and solve it, I have rung them and complained.”

Patricia Gigg, 69, said: “We have said to them something needs to be done but nothing has.

“When you are paying for something you expect work to be carried out and it hasn’t, it is disgusting.”

The new properties and communal area were created two years ago with pensioners and disabled residents moving into the homes run by Tai Clwyd.

They say they are responsible for their own gardens but not the communal area.

Community leaders fear the state of the area is impacting on the town’s image.
Chirk South councillor Terry Evans has contacted the housing association to stress his concerns.

He said: “What is going on is absolutely shocking. We have won awards for Wales in Bloom but then we have this which is awful.

“It is wrong that these people are paying for it and nothing has been done.”

Noela Jones, director of housing and communities for Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd, said they wished to apologise for the matter and its tenants roadshow had visited the estate last week.

She added: “We will take on board the tenants’ comments. In the meantime, we have arranged for the grass to be cut. Our community development team will also work with the tenants to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome to the matter.

“If a refund for the lack of service provision is needed, then we will arrange for that to happen.”