Families describe life in £80-a-week 'roundabout flats' on ring road
The unusual piece of town planning jumps out at drivers approaching the roundabout in the Penywaun area of the Welsh town of Aberdare.
Watch: Block of flats located in middle of roundabout in Welsh town
Residents in a block of flats that was built in the middle of a roundabout know how it feels to be permanently stuck in traffic.
The unusual piece of town planning jumps out at drivers approaching the roundabout in the Penywaun area of the Welsh town of Aberdare.
In the middle of the roundabout are three blocks of flats, where nine sets of residents live in the apartments. The last advertised rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the block was £83 a week.
Residents say they must deal with a dangerous road crossing every time they leave their front door, while families refuse to let their children play outside their homes.
Parking close to their homes is simply out of the question, while they must negotiate the busy interchange every time they want to pop to the shops.
To leave the apartment complex, residents must negotiate a series of paths leading down from the roundabout before dodging traffic on the carriageway on nearby Arfryn Road.
Some residents said they "can't wait to leave" the building and move elsewhere, while others say they have grown accustomed to the bizarre living situation.
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One mother, who lives in the apartments, said: "You can't park and you have to dodge the traffic going round and round every time you go out. Bonkers really."
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I haven't been here that long and I already can't wait to leave.
"It's miserable trying to have a car and bring your shopping in when there is nowhere to stop really. It's just an awkward spot to live in."
Another resident, Chelsea, said she fears for her daughter's safety because of the busy roundabout.
"It's a bit strange," she said. "I've lived here for two years, and you just get used to it.
'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."
She said she would not want to let her daughter play outside the complex and "can't wait" to move elsewhere when she has her second child.
Someone else living nearby said: "The flats have been there for at least the 30 years I've lived here. But then it was much quieter.
"Now there is a lot more traffic on the road and it can be a nightmare trying to get across. You can see why so many people want to leave."
