?Plans to build a ‘gentle slope’ in Clydach as part of the Heads of Valleys project has locals aghast after a ‘monstrous’ thirty foot ‘wall’ was built instead.

Locals living in the Dan-y-Coed bungalows area in Clydach spoke of their shock, saying that the original plans have been ignored, and a ‘prison wall’ construction topping some 40 feet has blighted their homes and blocked their view.

The work is part of the ongoing Heads of Valleys road project dualling the A465 in a £900m major construction project.

One local man, Terrence Marsh, said he spoke with a liaison officer from Costain — the firm tasked with the work — last September, who said the firm planned to build a ‘gentle grassed slope’ as part of the ‘unavoidable’ work.

Mr Marsh was also promised that residents’ considerations would be of ‘paramount importance’ and that any construction would not be ‘offensive to the eye’. ??“They told me that the construction would be ‘unobtrusive’, said Mr Marsh. “It’s nothing like they said. I could see the Heads of the Valleys from my garden. Now, I can’t see anything. It really is something else.??“We have just been running around in circles, without being given any answers. They said it would be an embankment-type job, all landscaped — but, they just chucked a wall up. Nobody will give us a straight answer.”

Mr Marsh, who has lived in the area for 13 years, said he and fellow locals started a petition a few months’ back, but after submitting it to Monmouthshire County Council, they heard nothing.

“Like talking to a brick wall. ” he added.

“The Wall blocks out all the natural light. It’s practically vertical. We aren’t pleased, to say the least. They told us we had ‘no option’ but to accept this, and there was ‘nothing to worry about’.

Mr Marsh said the construction was originally planned to be three feet away from local property boundaries. This was then changed to six feet, having the effect of making the wall loom larger.

The ‘slope’, locals said, turned out to be at least thirty feet long and edging toward vertical, encroaching on local homeowners’ views and space.

Amanda Lewis, 53, said she and fellow locals have been routinely ignored by Costain.

“They’ve not taken any notice of us. They haven’t really taken our opinions into account, at all. We went to a public meeting with Costain last year. We told them that the embankment was going too be too close to our homes, but they said, ‘don’t worry’. ??“In a perfect world, they would move the thing. But, that isn’t going to happen. They can at least make it look a bit better than it does.”

Councillor Simon Howarth called the 40-foot contraption a ‘ghastly structure’ before grousing that local residents had no say in the planning stage of development. ??“”The worrying thing now, is that, Monmouthshire Housing were never consulted, neither were the residents, or MCC,” he said.

The councillor said original plans for the footbridge were rejected by the local community, who suggested a redesign which avoided encroaching on local properties. ??“This was opposed,” he continued. “What was most disturbing was that drawings were never produced for the elevations of the embankment. After many requests, these were made available in December last year, with a November date stamped on them.

“What is clear is that the elevations changed considerably,” he added. ??After raising a petition signed by all residents of the Dan-y-Coed, Councillor Howarth issued MCC with the document at a full meeting of the council. ??“The planning inspectorate has been informed,” he said. “We are still waiting for a answer as to whether they are going to act on this. The residents and myself are requesting a full independent review as to why this has happened.

“It’s frankly appalling that the Welsh Government can ride roughshod over tenants. Everyone is burying their heads in the sand.

“The inspector should come back and request that Costain and the Welsh Government explain themselves,” he continued. The inspector made serious recommendations about the bungalows and the impact the scheme would have on them.

“At this moment, no-one has been in contact with the residents. It seems as though they don’t exist.”

Costain’s Bruce Richards, Project Director for the A465 project said, “The slope in the vicinity of Dan y Coed Bungalows has been steepened and engineered to support the widening and the long term stability of the A465 trunk road embankment.

“The tight constraints to widen the A465 above the bungalows has necessitated the construction, which formed part of the original planning proposals that were considered during the Public Local Inquiry in March/April 2014.

“We acknowledge that some trees and shrubs were removed to support the construction, but the new embankment has subsequently been hydro-seeded and has already grassed over. Some additional landscaping will be undertaken at the top of the embankment, which will also be the subject of edge protection.

“We are grateful to the local residents for their tolerance during the construction process and would like to reassure them that light to the rear of their properties will not be worsened upon completion of the project.

“We have continued to consult with Monmouthshire Housing Association, their tenants and elected representatives concerning the A465 embankment construction as the works have progressed.”

?The Heads of the Valleys project used to comprise of an old three-lane road, in place since the 1960s. This is disappearing to be replaced by a dual carriageway, with the new concrete arch bridge at Gilwern being the largest of its type in the world. Workers have built a 6,200m colossus of retaining walls to date, and planted 4,000 trees.

Dozens of diversions to water mains, gas mains, phone lines and electricity supplies have been completed; including a water main that required a new 1.5m wide, 100m long tunnel at a depth of 20m below the surface.

The builders have also dealt with a number of old mine workings uncovered near the Brynmawr junction. The grand project is due for completion by mid 2019.