“The heads of the valleys swallowed part of my garden”

John Watkeys loved a evening bowl tea as they fly bats around his oak tree, but this part of his garden is now under one of the most expensive and longest -running road projects in Great Britain.

When the heads of the Talleys Road are officially opened on Thursday, there is no road work for the first time in 23 years after the upgrade of 2 billion GBP on almost highway standard.

But for people like John, who thought the A465 for 65 years, he says, the stress to keep his home intact, has demanded its toll.

The first minister Eluned Morgan has described the largest project from Upgrade Wales since the devolution in 1999 and gave the valleys “the same possibilities” as other areas.

The 28-mile improvement (45 km) should give one of the most used areas of Great Britain the prosperity between Westwales and the Midlands.

Some called it the “Street from Hell” during the roadworks, which started in 2002, and the subsequent overload, but now all cones have gone and the traffic flows are free.

But while those who are closest to the heads of the Talleys Road have greeted their effects on traffic, they claim that they are still fighting with the Welsh government on the effects of the new street on their houses.

“Nobody will be happy to lose part of your garden,” said the enthusiastic gardener John, whose homeland borders the A465 in Merthyr Tydfil.

“I had a beautiful old oak tree that is gone. I have a weak point for bats and loved watching it around the oak tree in the evening, they went.”

The road crosses the South Wales Coalfields, a national park and turns very close to the houses of the people, especially in Merthyr, where the last part of the street work was carried out.

John is growing his own fruit and vegetables, but after three years of construction work next to his house, he said that he had to “restart” the garden due to dirt and dust.

“I picked up the pieces,” said the former microbiologist. “It has been extremely stressful for many years.”

He said the stress began when after years of assurances that the new street would not take a country, those who were behind the project wanted to change their opinion and to reflect part of his house.

“The workers said we wanted to knock down their garage and we need their journey for a work area,” said John.

“You can imagine my answer, I said you couldn't put my garage back because it is an integral part of my house and contains my supply room, in which my heating and hot water are housed. So they found a different way.”

The Welsh government offered to buy the house in the Cefn Coed Coed area from Merthyr, but John said that he had rejected for sentimental reasons.

“I grew up here, my two parents died here and my wife died here,” said John.

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

It is not the first time that the heads of the Valley Road John have influenced because his family had to leave his first house in the early 1960s, which was a few meters away when the original Swansea was built on the Herefordshire Road.

John, who has received preliminary compensation from the Welsh government for the loss of his garden, but is waiting for a complete settlement, is “not over yet”.

“The peace is nice now and it's nice to continue with my life, but I still have a few fights with the Welsh government,” he added.

He's not the only one. Daryl Wilkins also writes to the Welsh government and politicians who claim that the vibrations of increasing behind his house have led to cracks in his entire house.

“I have lived here for almost 45 years and never had any problems until the construction on the valleys started,” said the 79-year-old former fish and chip van owners.

“I had a survey on the house before the work began and there was no cracks. Now my house has cracks outside and inner walls and this is due to vibrations that occur in front of my house.”

Daryl said that contractors replace nine window panes as “goodwill gestures” after they were damaged, but claimed that he had paid more than £ 1,000 for window frames.

“The pile lasted at least six months,” said Daryl. “The house shook earlier, it was terrible.

“My great -granddaughter loved to go to our trampoline, but she wouldn't come here because the noise was out of her pile.

“Now I have damage in the whole house, it will take thousands of pounds to repair. I don't want compensation, I just want my house to be repaired.”

Remuneration payments are currently subject to ongoing discussions between the Welsh government, the future valleys consortium behind the final section of 1 billion GBP and the program affected by the program.

Almost 70 structures – including more than 40 new bridges and a dozen new intersections – were built on the improved route between Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The workers planted 285,000 trees to mitigate the considerable environmental impact, and creatures, including bats, sleepmice and Great Crested Newts, were also moved.

“They rightly taken into account the effects on the environment and the local wildlife and spent money that has the right but did not do the same with the people concerned,” said Daryl's daughter Julie.

“You spent billions for a street that was urgently needed, but the damage you caused this house did not classify properly – and you speak thousands of pounds.

“Mom and dad are not in great health and this stress does not help. I only wonder what these dignitaries who would open this street if this happened to their parents.”

The Station of Merthyr City Councilor Lisa MyTton was divided into two parts when a street bridge over the heads of the valleys for the street extended below was put down.

She said her phone was “beautiful morning, noon and night” for five years.

“In recent years it has been a headache to support residents with their concerns,” said MyTton.

“The residents found the disturbance at a few points when they drilled into the rock wall, and some felt movement in their house, so that they felt tired and anxious.

“It is an enormous relief and sharpness that everything is done, but the authorities now have to work together to use this new road.”

John and Daryl said they were accepted by the heads of the valleys, and both admit that the street would have positive effects on the valleys in South Wales, but want the rulers to hear their stories.

“What I would tell you is what we have to do to ensure that the valleys have the same opportunities as other areas to get high -quality and qualified jobs on site,” said the first minister Eluned Morgan.

“That is what this street does for us. This is the largest project in the history of the devolution and will open the valleys for new jobs.

“Now the Welsh government will help to develop a vision for valleys that are about economic development, and this road is of central importance.”

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