BOW Street residents have been given an unpleasant Christmas gift, after the council told them they must pay between £1,400 and £3,500 each before maintenance work is carried out on their estate.

Ceredigion County Council has been in the process of adopting Maes Afallen housing estate and taking on responsibility for maintenance for more than 20 years.

After being told by contractors that work to lay new paving would start in early 2012, residents put money aside, but no work took place since.

Earlier this month, residents received an invoice of £1,400 or more from the council to complete the urgent works, which are set to replace the non-porous old pavements which contribute to flooding.

The council was also accused of wasting public money by not repairing a street lamp which had been left on day and night for six years.

Chairman of Maes Afallen Residents’ Association, Bob Mathias, accused the council of “appalling” behaviour for delaying the work for so long and suddenly springing this invoice on people just before Christmas.

“This has been a long, drawn out problem which has gone on for over 20 years,” Mr Mathias told the Cambrian News.

“The issue is that the road and pavement needs to be done because it is no longer porous and rain just runs off the top and causes flooding.

“The road is part of the estate but was never adopted formally by the council, so the roads and pavements have never been kept up to date.

“In February 2012, we received a letter from contractors informing us the work would start within three or four weeks, but they never did the work.”

Resident Dafydd Rennie said: “The estate is full of young families like us and elderly people who cannot afford to pay these amounts within a month, especially given the fact it is a month away from what is expected to be a cold Christmas when money is at its tightest."

Ceredigion council said that “personal payment plans” will be discussed with all the residents, and that the “majority” of homeowners on the estate agreed to the plan and were provided provisional estimates of the costs involved.

“The procedure for making up a Private Street is only undertaken when the majority of the homeowners request that the street is made up to an adoptable standard so that the homeowners are no longer responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the highways, footways and street lighting on the estate, and Ceredigion County Council has been in discussion with residents at Maesafallen for a number of years in relation to this work,” a council spokesperson said.

“The owners of the properties at Maes Afallen were initially provided with a provisional estimate of the cost of the works prior to the works proceeding and a further final cost of the works on completion.

“All the works necessary to bring the road under the responsibility of the council has now been completed and the adoption procedure is drawing to its conclusion.

“Once formally adopted as a publicly maintained highway the property owners at Maes Afallen will have no further liability for the maintenance of the highway.

“Residents are in discussion with the council to work out personal payment plans that are acceptable to both parties.”

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