Residents in the village of Caerau, Bridgend have launched a petition calling for a “fair deal” on repair works to homes damaged by a Government and Bridgend Council-backed insulation scheme.
Members of the community in Caerau near Maesteg, said they have spent more than 10 years living in damp and mouldy homes after two projects known as Arbed and CESP, saw their properties damaged by a programme of improvements to increase their energy efficiency.
In many cases, those living in the more than 100 homes affected said that because of the poor insulation fittings to external walls they’d suffered with major issues such as damp, mould, and structural issues in the years since work began.
READ MORE: Plans for new McDonald’s drive through rejected
READ MORE: New services added to Lynfi valley bus route
Updates on the repair work were given earlier this year with more than £2 million of Welsh Government funding put in place and a contractor Warmworks being appointed by Bridgend Council.
However, with work on the homes still not having started, and what residents say is a lack of clarity over time-scales and what remedial works will be covered, they have now launched the petition with almost 200 signatures.
The petition read: “Since the works have been done, residents have had to live with extreme damp and mould. This has led to residents paying for work to put things right, such as paying for new kitchens, carpets, new paint, new blinds. This has been an ongoing issue for over a decade now. Some residents have unfortunately passed away having not seen these issues put right.”
It added: “Damages to the property must be put right and residents compensated for putting the damages right themselves which has amounted to thousands of pounds.”
It also comes after Luke Fletcher MS spoke to Welsh Government earlier in July 2024 about the issues faced by residents, calling for leadership and clear time-scales when it came to the repair works.
The petition which is now live will be open for people to sign until January 12, 2025. If it receives 250 or more signatures it will be discussed by the Senedd’s Petitions Committee. For the latest Bridgend news sign up to our newsletter here.