Anglesey stable boss claims to be '£4,000 out of pocket' after water repair works 'disaster'

An stable owner has been left to count the cost, claiming to be almost £4,000 out of pocket following major water repair works.

Roberta Brooks, of Holyhead, alleges that Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water) contractors even left gates open, allowing horses to run wild, costing her hundreds of pounds in rental fees.

She also says the £1.1m works, which started last spring, has resulted in localised flooding to her stables.

But calls for the land to be restored to its original condition, and a claim for compensation due to the reduction in value of her land, remain unresolved.

Dŵr Cymru say they are in continued dialogue with Mrs Brooks to find a resolution.

The major repair works started in February 2016 after a pipe in Holyhead burst five times in less than a month.

The worst incident, in September 2015, saw the Plas Road area of the port town, flooded by up to four feet of water, causing substantial damage to local allotments.

But Mrs Books says a string of blunders in repairing it means she’s been left almost £4,000 out of pocket, also citing eight months of disruption.

She has so-far received £1,500 but is still waiting for a resolution over a claim for a total of £10,000, including compensation.

The 46 year old mother of one, who owns around 15 acres on Plas Road, said: “The works have been a disaster as far as I’m concerned.

“As well as my own, other horse and pony owners paid rent to have theirs graze here, which supplemented my income. But soon after starting, the contractors started to leave the gates open, causing havoc.

“I lost count of the number of times mares were able to run free, and I was called out of work more than once to sort it out.

“Soon enough, I was hundreds of pounds out of pocket after owners decided they would have to find somewhere else, meaning we lost out.”

Mrs Brooks also alleges the water main repairs have themselves caused localised flooding as well as leaving scars on the surface that she faces having to repair herself.

“The cost of topsoiling and reseeding the land is just over £1,000 but I feel fobbed off,” she added.

“Because of the manholes and damage to the land, its value is now nowhere near what it was.

“It also means it would be impossible to get planning permission to ever build homes on the site.

“The company has given me £1,500 to cover the loss of rental income, but this is nowhere near the true cost.”

A spokesperson for Dwr Cymru said: “One of our main priorities at Welsh Water is to provide our customers with a reliable supply of clean, fresh drinking water. That is why last year we invested over £1 million in replacing 4km of water main in Holyhead.

“To help us achieve this, we sometimes need to cross private land. In these circumstances, we always liaise closely with all relevant landowners in advance of the work starting.

“We’re aware of the issues raised by Mrs Brooks and continue to liaise with her.

“We have requested additional information and will review this as soon as it has been received.

“We are committed to working with Mrs Brooks to resolve the matter as soon as possible and appreciate her cooperation on the matter.”