Inside eerie, rat-infested estate dubbed UK’s ‘most depressing place’ after being ravaged by arson yobs as young as TEN

WITH boarded-up houses, overflowing litter attracting rats, and piles of burnt-out fires, this notorious property seems good worthy of the rubric of ‘the astir depressing spot to unrecorded successful the UK’.

Stuck connected a elevation 1,100ft supra oversea level, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the Rhondda Valley, Penrhys has ne'er been capable to shingle disconnected the bleak reputation it’s had since it was archetypal built successful the precocious 1960s.

It has lone 1 shop, 1 takeaway and a religion inactive operating. The aged doctor’s country and different amenities are shut, portion galore of the houses laic empty, surrounded by piles of dumped furniture.

But contempt its outwardly scruffy appearance, the radical who unrecorded successful 1 of the poorest estates successful Wales are fiercely protective of their estate.

They are besides excitedly anticipating the winds of alteration arsenic bulldozers hole to determination in, flattening the black-stained, upwind and rain-weathered buildings to marque mode for caller houses successful a £50million regeneration project.

Jan Griffiths, 72, has lived determination since she joined successful 1970.

“It was beauteous erstwhile we moved here. Everybody knew everybody, determination was a assemblage centre and things going connected each the time, and it was great," she tells The Sun.

“Over the years determination was a batch of occupation going connected up here. We had radical mounting cars connected fire, we had guns up present and things similar that, but those days are gone now."

“We’ve got the religion present which has everything. Everybody rallies circular and there’s a batch going on, you tin spell to anybody for a chat," she adds.

“It mightiness beryllium a spot tally down, but determination are tons of run-down places. Anybody who wants to criticise should travel and sojourn and spot what a invited they get – we invited anybody.”

But determination are inactive immoderate residents of Penrhys - which has been dubbed the UK's 'most depressing place' successful online forums - who deliberation the issues beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic they ever did.

One nonmigratory who has lived connected the property for much than 50 years and asked to stay anonymous told us: “It’s s*** surviving here.

"I’ve had 4 leaks successful my house, from pipes to the roof, and it’s a conflict getting anyone to travel retired to look oregon hole anything, they don’t privation to know.

“I took the lodging relation to tribunal due to the fact that they refused to travel and hole things, and I won.

“I person a shed wrong astatine the beforehand of the house, which has nary ceiling, and the assembly garbage to springiness america due bins, truthful there’s rubbish everyplace connected the property which ne'er gets cleaned up.

“We person to enactment retired achromatic bags which get collected each 4 weeks, and recycling each Friday. Cats and foxes unfastened them, and the rubbish goes each implicit the place.

“I had rats moving astir successful the roof, truthful I had to get pest power in, but I haven’t seen immoderate recently, interaction wood.

“I’m stuck here, and there’s thing for anyone to do. If I could permission tomorrow, I’d beryllium gone successful shot.

“When I archetypal moved up present arsenic a teen it was lovely.

"But however it is now, you wouldn’t deliberation it’s the aforesaid site.”

Boom and bust

Penrhys was opened successful 1968, arsenic a modern assembly location development, and astatine the time, with 951 houses and flats, it was the biggest nationalist assemblage property successful Wales.

The ember manufacture was booming and each the homes were heated by an innovative cardinal ember system.

It besides met a petition from the National Coal Board for 250 homes for section miners.

But arsenic the ember mines unopen 1 by one, the redundant miners left, and deprived families from the surrounding areas were moved in.

Because of the influx of socially impoverished families moving connected to the estate, it was seen arsenic an undesirable spot to determination to by some, and galore of the homes remained empty.

Eventually the bare units were trashed by vandals, damaged beyond repair, and boarded up with metallic doors and windows, arsenic they stay today.

Nonetheless, determination remains a beardown neighbourhood tone determined to crook Penrhys's fortunes around.

Neil Thomas, 46, is simply a assemblage unpaid astatine the Llanfair Uniting Church.

The section religion hosts a boys and girls club, toddler group, café, homework nine for superior children, creation and parkour classes and younker clubs.

He said: “Because of each the religion has going connected determination is simply a overmuch amended ambiance present than determination was a mates of years ago.

“As good arsenic the clubs and different events we person lodging country Trivallis (the lodging association), Citizens Advice travel up, truthful the connection betwixt professionals and the assemblage is amended than it’s ever been.

“We besides person a privately-run nutrient slope and furnishings bank. When radical determination up present successful atrocious circumstances, they travel with nothing, truthful we similar to effort to assistance them with what they need.

“There is simply a batch of poorness present and not a batch of employment around, though I cognize Asda employment rather a fewer radical from here.

“What I emotion astir it is the assemblage spirit. Like everywhere, nary 1 is cleanable and nary 1 is claiming to beryllium perfect.

"A batch of the rubbish you spot dumped is alert tipped by outsiders who deliberation Penrhys don’t care, and dump worldly successful the mediate of the night, but we get the blasted for it.

“Going back, it did consciousness a spot forgotten, determination weren’t a batch of changes going and you didn’t spot immoderate professionals, particularly during Covid, and everybody was near to fend for themselves.

“It did person a batch of issues, but it’s antithetic present we person the regeneration and monthly meetings with the developers and an unfastened transmission of connection truthful we tin accidental what we privation from it.”

Arson yobs

Perched 1,170ft supra the Rhondda, Penrhys's steep paths pb to rain-battered assembly blocks of up to 4 storeys, which erstwhile housed an isolated assemblage of poorness and transgression separated from the vale beingness below.

Its representation to outsiders grew worse successful the aboriginal 90s erstwhile gangs of arsonists arsenic young astatine 10 terrorised the estate, pelting firefighters with stones arsenic they battled to power the blazing buildings.

Weeks aboriginal demolition teams moved successful to teardrop down 10 blocks of flats ripped isolated by the fires.

Today lone 300 homes remain, galore azygous occupancies, with a colonisation of little than 600 people.

Housing relation Trivallis plans to physique 1,000 caller houses, a schoolhouse and a assemblage centre.

Duncan Forbes, Chief Executive astatine Trivallis, said: “We’re truly atrocious if immoderate tenant feels unheard, particularly successful Penrhys, wherever we’ve built beardown relationships by having a dedicated assemblage lodging serviceman and a repairs squad acceptable up on-site to hole issues faster.

“Right now, we’re getting acceptable to taxable the first-phase readying exertion for the regeneration of Penrhys successful summertime 2025. The task volition instrumentality respective years, and we’ve secured respective bare properties crossed the property to alteration america to physique the caller homes and present the project.

“What makes this caller improvement antithetic is however progressive the assemblage is successful processing plans for the property with us. We’re having assemblage sessions each month, truthful residents, Trivallis and each the different partners tin speech done the plans together.

“Penrhys is acold from forgotten — erstwhile you instrumentality clip to get to cognize radical determination you tin spot that it’s a strong, caring assemblage wherever radical look retired for each other. Local volunteers person worked with america and different partners to enactment radical and marque a affirmative difference.

“We’re arrogant to enactment with residents to physique a amended aboriginal and excited for what we’ll execute together.”