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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Phoebe Jobling & Ben Summer

'I live in a block of flats in the middle of a roundabout... it's hard work and my daughter can't play out'

Many homeowners often share complaints about living next to busy roads, but there's nothing quite like living ON a roundabout. It's not often that you see a block of flats plonked in the middle of a circular junction, but for some residents in Wales, this is their reality.

Waunllwyd flats sits in the centre of a roundabout near the A465 Heads of the Valleys road in Penywaun between Aberdare and Hirwaun, joining Lawrence Avenue to the west with Arfryn to the north and south.

The building, made up of nine flats in total, makes for quite the unusual sight with paths leading down from four sections of the roundabout and two entrances to the flats at 'street level', which is directly opposite the busy main road.

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One resident, a mum-of-one named Chelsea, spoke to WalesOnline about what it's like living in the flats.

Chelsea, who has a young daughter said it was "hard work" living on the roundabout, worrying about the traffic coming towards it at speed.

The flats have no parking (Mark Lewis)

"It's a bit strange. I've lived here for two years, and you just get used to it," she said.

"The cars come down the hill at a pace, and the school buses too, because there's a comprehensive nearby, so there's about 10 school buses.

With no formal road crossing from the roundabout, Chelsea said she wouldn't let her daughter play outside near the road, and "can't wait" to move somewhere else when she has her second child.

Waunllwyd Flats (Mark Lewis)

There's also nowhere to park as cars can't be parked on the kerb next to the flats.

Last year we reported that a family were left living in their home in the middle of a roundabout after refusing to move.

The Howatsons refused to move when the roundabout was built on the A525 in North Wales 40 years ago and have lived there ever since.

Paths from the inside edge of the roundabout lead up to the flats (Mark Lewis)

Life on the roundabout "does get busy at times", says Clwyd Howatson, who has lived there for most of his life, now with his wife and son.

The Howatsons, the 64-year-old says, are a big family with seven children and 12 grandchildren who visit the roundabout regularly.

"We don't have to worry about any neighbours, but life on the roundabout does get busy at times - especially when the grandchildren stay over," Clwyd says.

"I've lived on the roundabout for over 40 years so it's pretty much all I know. We'd lived here for 20 years before that as well so it's been in the family for a long time."

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