We live in the middle of a roundabout – here’s what it’s really like

RESIDENTS living in the middle of a roundabout say they have nowhere to park and can’t sleep because of the noise.

A three-storey block of flats in South Wales is the centre piece of the island used by locals assessing their roads.

Home to around 20 residents living in the nine flats, the grassy patch has no parking for residents or a safe place to cross.

One resident, who has lived in the block for the past five years, told The Sun Online living there “drives me nuts”.

They said: “When the traffic’s busy, it can be a nightmare because the road around the island is quite wide, so if you’re loaded up with kids and shopping bags, you can be taking your life into your hands getting across.

“And when you’re indoors and it’s busy, all you hear is the noise of cars circling the roundabout.

“On a bad day, it drives me nuts.

“It would be handy to have a parking space on the roundabout too because crossing that road to get on and off the island can be a challenge, not to mention an inconvenience.

“We have to find a spot in the four roads running off the roundabout and walk to and from the car, which sometimes I have to park a couple of hundred metres away to find a spot.” 

The resident, who asked not to be identified, lives on the top floor of the block – which is believed to have been built in the 1970s before the roundabout was placed around it a few years later.

Another local, ground-worker Rhys, 32, said although it can be noisy during busy traffic periods, he has got used to the rumble of cars.

Rhys, cradling his 16-month-old daughter, said: “I’m used to it now, so it doesn’t bother me like it once did and besides, I’ve got this little ‘un keeping me awake nowadays.

“I moved in around six years ago and overall, I’m pretty happy here.

“It’s a good community in the area and how many people get to say they live on a roundabout? It’s a bit quirky and I like that.”

Mum-of-one Chelsea lives on the top floors with her young daughter.

She said: “It’s a bit strange. 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.”

The flats are located in Penywaun, between Aberdare and Hirwaun just south of the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road.

The Waunllwyd flats make for an unusual sight, with paths leading down from four sections of the roundabout.