Wimpey bought a boggy field - much to the surprise, amusement & bemusement of many locals - and are having a go at building a small estate on it. Originally called "Windsor Rise", they now seem to be calling it by another name. Their marketing blurb and how others see Aber (near Caerphilly) are rather different. This is why....
Number 1 shows The Panteg pub (see "Abertridwr Gallery" for closer pictures).
Info below from "upmystreet" website
for July - September 2006
My neighbours
Full neighbourhood profile
Within the last 5 years or so it was closed down. Locals described it as a centre for drug-dealing. The last straw seemed to be when Customs and Excise raided the place and confiscated "lorry loads of stuff".
Number 2 shows The Aber pub on Ilan Road. The previous landlord got into trouble a few years ago when police raided and dug up a hoard of stolen goods from the garden of the pub.
Number 3 shows Ilan Road. This was the scene of other police raids - for drugs. One householder was prosecuted for growing cannabis plants in his attic. Police cars (and ambulances) are quite frequently seen outside houses in Ilan Road.
Number 4 shows Windsor Rise as a building site. (The village is North of the site).
In July 2006 The Aber pub cellars were flooded for the first time ever. It appears to be as a result of disruption to the water table on the hill at the bottom of which Wimpey are working. Rumours among locals are rife about the length of time Wimpey is taking. "They are just moving dirt about; they should be building by now. It'll be the water". At the time of writing this (summer 2006) it has been close to 6 months since the work started - so perhaps there is truth to the rumours?
Assuming the houses are built, winter time should be interesting for the residents of Windsor Drive. The access to and from the site is via hills - which do not get properly gritted. Still, it makes entertaining viewing for the locals who always come out and watch the skidding vehicles. And willingly act as witnesses when there are bumps, crashes and collisions.
Public transport is sometimes a viable option - but there are frequent times throughout the year when the bus companies refuse to let their drivers take buses into Abertridwr for weeks because of the abuse and damage caused by youths hurling things at their vehicles.
Views of and around Abertridwr are here.
STOP PRESS!!!! (August 17th 2006)
Their website no longer mentions Windsor Rise. Locals are seeing signs of the site being abandoned. Wimpey have, indeed, made a huge cock-up by the looks of it.
November 2006 - It's back on their site. Why? What's been going on? Can they be trusted?
Here are some extracts from Wimpey Homes website's blurb about this development:
"Windsor Rise is situated on the hillside with views across the valley. It is a peaceful haven offering the perfect retreat from the stress of modern living.
"Perfectly located for a relaxing life in the country.
"Together with the magnificent scenery of the surrounding valleys and world class leisrue attraction."
So, what is Abertridwr really famous for?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abertridwr
Extract: One of the most famous former residents of the village is John McCarthy, who was born in the nearby town of
http://www.chavtowns.co.uk/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1841
Extract:
u-nowz-it _WRITES "Located between caerphilly and senghenydd (also knows as snegi) it has to be the most roughest place going! This is the ultimate CHAV-VILLE! all chavz either hang out at the huge main bus station in the centre ov aber called the square. Aber and Snegi are the most roughest places around caerphilly, both towns hav their share of chavz who hate each other but are so stupid with their lack of knowledge only thing they seems to argue about is which town has the most boarded up windows. |
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020228/debtext/20228-30.htm
Extract: Mr. Wayne David (Caerphilly): It is sometimes difficult to chart the progress of this Labour Government simply by speaking in vague generalities. So, in the short time available to me, I shall give some specific examples of how Labour is benefiting some of the poorest communities in Wales. I shall begin with the Aber valley, a small valley just north-west of Caerphilly. It contains two small communities: Abertridwr and Senghenydd, the village where the largest mining disaster of the last century occurred. This community has some of the most acute poverty, the poorest health and the lowest incomes anywhere in Wales.
Info below from "upmystreet" website
http://www.upmystreet.com/property/prices/l/cf83+4dy.html
Average property prices
| Average for CF83 4 | England & Wales average | View graph | |
|---|---|---|---|
| © Crown Copyright | |||
| All | £ 96,536 (40) | £211,168 (297,408) |  |
| Detached | too few sales | £319,727 (65,739) | |
| Semi-detached | £ 109,086 (13) | £188,480 (85,420) | |
| Terraced | £ 90,493 (27) | £166,566 (95,946) | |
| Flat | too few sales | £192,892 (50,303) | |
My neighbours
Full neighbourhood profile
Often, many of the people who live in this sort of postcode will be young working families. These are known as type 40 in the ACORN classification and 1.94% of the UK's population live in this type.
Here is an overview of the likely preferences and features of your neighbourhood:
|
Family income |
Low |
|
Interest in current affairs |
Low |
|
Housing - with mortgage |
High |
|
Educated - to degree |
Very low |
|
Couples with children |
High |
|
Have satellite TV |
Medium |
Most families are two parents with school age children, but there are also significant numbers of single parents.
Few people have formal educational qualifications beyond a few GCSEs. Employment prospects tend to be in the manufacturing, construction and retail sectors. As a result, family incomes are lower than the national average. Unemployment and part-time working are above average.
Accommodation is mostly in three bedroom terraced houses, some rented from the council and housing associations, and slightly more privately owned. Where houses are owned they tend to be lower priced. Remortgaging levels are high.
People are careful with spending. Food might be bought at Asda, Kwik Save or the Co-op, and many other items are purchased through catalogues. Mother and daughter might shop for clothes at New Look.
Typically these families will only run a single car, probably bought second hand. However a motorbike or scooter might act as a second vehicle.
Horseracing, doing the football pools, angling and bingo are all popular as is watching cable and satellite TV.
This is a description of the type of neighbourhood to which this postcode has been matched, it is not a description of the postcode. The overview describes characteristics frequently found in these neighbourhoods. Since most postcodes include a mix of people we don't expect everyone there will fit the description perfectly.
Welcome to
wimpeyrawdeal.com
GEORGE WIMPEY PLC - "
The George Wimpey Quote:
'Our customers are the driving force behind George Wimpey's commitment to deliver quality, innovation, dedication and service.
By listening to you, George Wimpey remains at the forefront of its market, raising standards by developing homes and
communities people want to live in.
The Reality:
o o Wimpey do not listen. They ignore anything they do not want to hear or read. Keith Cushen, MD George Wimpey
ignored my MPs request for information regarding falsified plans.
o o Wimpey threatened to keep my £8000 deposit and sell the house to someone else when I refused to complete,
until the faulty brickwork had been rectified.
o o Wimpey dismissed my surveyors report as irrelevant and painted the large mortar joints to match the bricks.
o o Wimpey move fences and redraw plans at will.
o o Wimpey legal department threatened to rescind the contract on several occasions, if I did not accept their unfair
terms and get out clauses.
o o Wimpey failed to keep a long standing appointment to carry out remedial works. I arranged for the work to be carried
out during my weeks holiday and Wimpey did not have the courtesy to inform me they were not coming, or reply to my calls for three days.
Wimpey Homes have unfairly disrupted my own and my family's life by their bullying, intimidation, lies, falsification of plans, indifference and poor work. If you are considering purchasing a new home from George Wimpey PLC,
you may get more (or less) than you bargained for…
and click for: Beware of Wimpey
which has horror stories, including videos, of others' experiences - and many useful links.