‘The Heads of the Valleys road swallowed part of my garden’

John Watkeys used to love an evening cup of tea watching bats fly around his oak tree, but that part of his garden is now gone under one of the UK’s most expensive and longest-running road projects.

As the Heads of the Valleys road officially opens on Thursday, there are no roadworks on it for the first time in 23 years after its £2bn upgrade to almost motorway standard.

But for people like John, who has neighboured the A465 for 65 years, he says the stress of fighting to keep his home intact has taken its toll.

First Minister Eluned Morgan has called the upgrade Wales’ biggest project since devolution in 1999, giving valleys communities “the same opportunities” as other areas.

The 28-mile (45km) improvement is designed to bring prosperity to one of the UK’s most deprived areas and cut journey times between west Wales and the Midlands.

Some called it the “road from hell” during the roadworks, which started back in 2002, and subsequent congestion, but now all cones have gone and traffic flows freely.

But while those living closest to the Heads of the Valleys road have welcomed its impact on traffic, they claim they are still fighting with the Welsh government about the new road’s impact on their homes.

“Nobody is going to be happy with losing part of your garden,” said keen gardener John, whose home borders the A465 in Merthyr Tydfil.

“I had a beautiful old oak tree, that’s gone. I’ve a soft spot for bats and used to love watch them flying around the oak tree in the evening, they’ve gone.”

The road crosses the south Wales coalfields, a national park and twists mightily close to people’s homes, especially in Merthyr where the final section of roadworks were done.

John grows his own fruit and vegetables but after three years of construction work next to his house he said he has had to “restart the garden from scratch” due to the dirt and dust.

“I’m left picking up the pieces,” said the former microbiologist. “It has been extremely stressful for a lot of years.”

He said the stress started when after years of reassurances that the new road would not take any of his land, those behind the project changed their mind and wanted to knock down part of his house.

“Workers said we want to knock down your garage and we need your drive for a working area,” claimed John.

“You can imagine my response, I said you can’t knock my garage down as it’s an integral part of my house and it includes my utility room which houses my heating and hot water. So they found another way.”

The Welsh government offered to compulsory purchase the house, in the Cefn Coed area of Merthyr, but John said he declined because of sentimental reasons.

“I grew up here, both my parents passed away here and my wife passed away here,” John said.

“This house has a lot of memories and, at my age, the thought of packing everything up and moving was too much.”

It is not the first time the Heads of the Valley road has impacted John as his family were forced to leave his first home, which was a few metres away, in the early 1960s when the original Swansea to Herefordshire road was built.

John, who has received interim compensation from the Welsh government for the loss of his garden but is awaiting a full settlement, is adamant “it’s not over”.

“The peace and quiet is nice now and just being able to get on with my life is lovely but I’ve a few more fights with Welsh government to come,” he added.

He is not the only one. Just over the road, Daryl Wilkins is also writing to the Welsh government and politicians claiming the vibrations from piling behind his house has led to cracks throughout his home.

“I’ve lived here for almost 45 years and never had any problems until construction started on the Heads of the Valleys,” said the 79-year-old former fish and chip van owner.

“I had a survey on the house before work started and there were no cracks. Now my house has cracks on outside and inside walls and that’s because of vibrations from piling going on outside my house.”

Daryl said contractors replaced nine window panes as a “goodwill gesture” after they were damaged, but claims he had pay more than £1000 on window frames.

“The piling lasted for at least six months,” said Daryl. “The house used to shake, it was terrible.

“My great-granddaughter loved going on our trampoline but she wouldn’t come here because of the noise from the piling.

“Now I’ve got damage throughout the house, it will take thousands of pounds to repair. I don’t want compensation, I just want my house repaired.”

Compensation payments are currently subject to ongoing discussions between the Welsh government, Future Valleys consortium behind the final £1bn stretch of the road, and individuals affected by the scheme.

Almost 70 structures – including more than 40 new bridges and a dozen new junctions – have been built across the upgraded route between Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Workers planted 285,000 trees to mitigate its significant environmental impact and creatures including bats, dormice and great crested newts have also been moved.

“They’ve rightly considered the effects on the environment and local wildlife and spent money putting that right but not done the same with affected people,” said Daryl’s daughter Julie.

“They’ve spent billions on a road which was much-needed, but not put right the damage they’ve caused this house – and you’re talking thousands of pounds.

“Mum and dad aren’t in great health and this stress doesn’t help. I just wonder what those dignitaries opening this road would feel if this happened to their parents.”

Merthyr councillor Lisa Mytton’s ward was split in two when a road bridge over the Heads of the Valleys was knocked down for the road below to be widened.

She said her phone had been “red hot morning, noon and night” for best part of five years.

“It has been headache the last few years supporting residents with their concerns,” said Mytton.

“Residents found the disruption really heavy at some points when they were drilling into the rock face and some felt movement in their house so they felt weary and scared.

“It’s a huge relief and boost that it’s all done but authorities now need to work together to capitalise on this new road.”

John and Daryl said they accepted the Heads of the Valleys was to be upgraded and both admit the road will have a positive impact on the south Wales valleys, but want those in power to hear their stories.

“What I’d say to them is what we have to do is to make sure that valleys communities have the same opportunities as other areas to get quality and skilled jobs locally,” said First Minister Eluned Morgan.

“That’s what this road does for us. This is the biggest project in the history of devolution and it’s going to open up the valleys communities to new jobs.

“Now Welsh government will help to develop a vision for valleys communities built around economic development and this road is central to that.”

Transport secretary Ken Skates said he thanked residents “for their patience during the construction period” and that the Welsh government continued to “work with them to resolve any issues”.