Residents face 'nuclear winter' conditions after Rhondda Cynon Taf roadworks leave dust everywhere

Residents have said they woke up to conditions like a "nuclear winter" after council roadworks left their properties and cars covered in dust.

People living on Berw Road in Pontypridd said they were left with a "metallic taste" in their mouths and were "coughing and sneezing" following the works, which began on 3rd September.

Richard Beer, who lives on the street, said his property was covered in dust just two hours after he cleaned it off.

He added: "That wasn't even when the dust was at its worst."

Mr Beer said: "They put chippings down and left it without watering it down. Because there are trees and houses on each side, it looked like snow for a few days; and when you walked out of your house, it covered you and you looked like someone had thrown a bucket of dust over you. We couldn't breathe properly - I started coughing and had a sneezing fit, it was like having a cold or a bad chest infection."

The 42-year-old said he understood contractors came back sooner than initially planned to complete the work after residents complained.

However, fellow resident Clive Hybart, 69, said there was still "significant dust" on the street on Friday.

He said: "It started off with the ripping up the surface of the road, which resulted in vibrations and a lot of noise. Then they got around to resurfacing, and what they applied to it I don’t know, but it generated a mass of dust. Instead of dampening it, they went over it in a [truck] so it went back into the air, it was like a nuclear winter and you couldn’t see a few yards in front of the vehicle.

"My car was covered in about an eighth of an inch of dust and I had no option to have it cleaned. When you went outside in it, it left a metallic taste in your mouth and nose."

Mr Hybart added his neighbours were "really concerned" about the dust, with some even leaving signs outside their properties expressing their worries.

A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “The surfacing works at Berw Road have used a treatment process that is widely used across Wales. It includes an initial laying process followed a few days later by applying a locking treatment. During the interim period, there can be some loose stone and dust present.

"This was managed by our contractor, which carried out road sweeping and placed signs for reduced vehicle speeds. We’d like to thank residents for their patience throughout, and to reassure them that any surface dust produced by the process does not present any risk of harm.”

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