Oggy Bloggy Ogwr doesn’t receive any subsidy and isn’t funded by the BBC. If you like what I’m doing here and think this work is important in keeping locals informed of what’s happening in Bridgend, consider a donation. One-off or monthly; as little or as much as you want. Click the links below, or full details are available here.
At this month’s full council meeting, Cllr. Ian Williams (Ind, Oldcastle) asked for an update on remedial work to repair homes affected by the Arbed insulation scandal in Caerau.
In the written answer (which Cllr. Williams posted on Facebook) Bridgend Council confirmed that faulty external wall insulation has been removed at all affected properties.
However, to date, work to correct the damage has only been fully completed at a single property. A further four properties have roof and rendering work underway.
The expectation is that all works will be completed by March 2026, with 40% of the allocated funding of £3.75 million spent so far (£1.44 million).
Repair funding “isn’t a compensation scheme”
During the meeting itself, Cllr. Williams made a request to the Council Leader for an unredacted version of an internal audit report concerning Arbed to be made available. Councillors had a right to know what fully happened so lessons can be learned.
Yet, five years on from issues first being acknowledged by BCBC, progress on remedial work has been slow. Most of this work focuses on internal damage, but home interiors have often been left with tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
In those circumstances, was there a moral obligation for internal damage to be repaired, too?
Council Leader, Cllr. John Spanswick (Lab, Brackla West Central), accepted that progress has been slower than the Council would like, but work is finally well underway. Some properties will need to be dried out (following the external insulation removal) before further work can be undertaken on them.
He expressed sympathy for households that have had to live through this for the past decade and more. Ideally, this would never have happened, and councillors were well aware of the reasons why it did happen.
However, the Council Leader underlined that it was not a compensation scheme. He accepted that not everyone will be happy with the range of repair work, though residents have been told that they may have avenues to pursue legal action independently.
Related Posts
