Eight homeowners warned extensions may need demolishing after surprise discovery

23 September 2023 , 09:38

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Chris Bowden, 60, discovered an active mains water pipe running under the back of his home (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

A water company has warned residents of quiet street that they must pay up or face having their home extensions knocked down.

The ultimatum from Welsh Water comes after one man discovered an active mains water pipe running under the back of a house in Mountain Ash, a town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.

Chris Bowden, 60, a resident and owner of two out of the nine houses on the street, stumbled upon the live pipe during the demolition of an extension at the back of one of his houses. He had hoped to move in his daughter, her partner, and their two children.

Welsh Water have now told reisdents on the street that they must pay for the pipe to be moved or have their home extensions knocked down (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

After finding the pipe in April, Mr Bowden, a bus driver, promptly contacted Welsh Water. He said the company initially dismissed the likelihood of the pipe being active, but dispatched an engineer to inspect the site. Speaking to Wales Online, Mr Bowden told how the engineer's demeanour "completely changed" during the visit, as he was taken aback to find that the pipe was indeed active. To add to the shock, it was revealed as dating back to the 1920s and served as the main water supply to the homes and was situated beneath eight extensions at the rear of the nine properties.

The extensions were built long before the current residents moved in, he said. However, those who did construct their own extensions claim they were never informed about the pipe by planning inspectors, solicitors, or the council during the formal planning application process. They have argued it's unreasonable to expect residents to know about an active pipe, and understand the restrictions on building near or over it.

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Mr Bowden revealed that following a technician's visit in April, the residents heard nothing from Welsh Water until July. At this point, Welsh Water instructed solicitors to write to all homeowners in the row. In their letters, the solicitor warned residents that Welsh Water would take legal action, forcing the demolition of the large extensions over the mains pipe unless residents cover the cost of relocating the pipe to an accessible area.

Welsh Water said they are 'working hard to explore all of the options available to resolve the matter' (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Mr Bowden said his daughter Naomi and her family are currently without a home because of the ongoing legal battle. The situation escalated in July when Mr Bowden received a letter from a solicitor, which he described as "very threatening". The letter, similar to a reminder sent in September, stated: "Having thoroughly investigated our records and title deeds, it appears that an extension has been built on or near the main which constitutes an interference with our statutory rights. We were not contacted prior to the extension being built, and had we been consulted we would have advised that we do not permit any buildings or structures to be constructed on or near our water mains."

The residents are now faced with two daunting options: either divert the apparatus under Section 185 of the Water Industry Act 1991, or face the removal of their extensions. Mr Bowden, one of the affected residents, expressed his disbelief and frustration, saying: "I replied saying 'What are you talking about? I told you this was live and you told me it wasn't. Your plans were wrong.' But they won't admit it. Everyone in the street now agrees that the pipe needs to be moved to where Welsh Water can access it. But it isn't the residents' fault that this has happened. Nobody knew that the pipe was active. Even Welsh Water didn't know. Planning inspectors didn't know. How can that be the residents' fault?"

He added: "We submitted plans for the extension to the council's planning department that cost us £2,000. That money is spent to make sure that due diligence is done on our behalf. That due diligence and planning process with the necessary planning protocols is what that money is for. We did everything properly and now we're being told by Welsh Water to pay up or have half of our homes destroyed."

In one of the houses is a 99-year-old woman, who has lived in the property all of her life, while another is home to a couple who have recently bought the property with no idea of what was to come. Nigel Maskell, 53, a factory cleaner who lives at one of the threatened houses on the row with his wife, said: "My wife and myself are just doing our best. We work hard, we pay our taxes, and we are in the process of saving what we can for a new kitchen. But now this has come like a bolt from the blue. So we find ourselves being threatened by an organisation clearly trying to cover up their own failings. The irony here being that, had Welsh Water maintained accurate records, we would not have considered buying the house in the first place. We feel as though we have been drawn into this farce as a result of Welsh Water's incompetence, for which we have now been asked to pay."

Mr Bowden's daughter, Naomi Bowden, said her children are effectively homeless and are being put up in other people's houses while the construction of her house is on hold. "I want my house back," she said. "I've lived here for nine years now and it's come as a huge shock. We've had to leave the house now."

A spokesman for Welsh Water said: "We are aware of the situation with the structures which have been built over our water main and have been in contact with our customers there regarding the matter. We understand this is a concern for them which is why we have been working hard to explore all of the options available to resolve the matter. We have written to our customers again yesterday (Friday) to explain we are looking further at a solution which we hope will relieve their concerns. We need to discuss this option further with them and our letter explains that we will be in contact with them again to arrange this for the coming weeks."

* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas