# The 'Billy Banks' Estate, Penarth - 04/09



## Urban-Warrior (May 2, 2009)

The estate sits on the remains of a Limestone Quarry overlooking Cardiff bay, which is prime real estate for the area. The Billy Banks is from the same ilk of architecture as the Ferrier, and has experienced similar social issues. It too has been dubbed as a failed social housing project. 

Today the blocks are surrounded by tall metal fencing, with gaps for the remaining four households. Apart from the final residents whole buildings are derelict; left to crumble and overcome by roaming flora. 

A stand-off is in place as the final inhabitants refuse to leave and prevent the Penarth Regeneration Project from going ahead. 

Sources: Penarth Times, Vale of Glamorgan Council

Visited with the usual gang... had to avoid the BBC filming the next Sarah Jane Adventures in part of the site

As always heres a selection of my pictures with more on my website here

Sneaky shot of the BBC support trucks 

















Watch your step now..




































Distant Memories..


























Easy now...











HDR's


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## ThenewMendoza (May 2, 2009)

Looks grim. I thought you were being killed yesterday? 

M


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## Urban-Warrior (May 2, 2009)

ThenewMendoza said:


> Looks grim. I thought you were being killed yesterday?
> 
> M



haha yesh.... I was but me escaped...hehe am sre sheep will fill ya in on the info..


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## Foxylady (May 3, 2009)

Ooh, grim but interesting too. Love the 7th pic with the wire thingy in and the photo of the bear floating in water. 
Nice find, Warrier.


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## Engineer (May 3, 2009)

*Billy Banks Estate.*

This bit looks impressive from the bay barrier locks, no time to check out as looking at something else!

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.444217&lon=-3.166721&z=19.3&r=0&src=msl


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## Foxylady (May 3, 2009)

Seeing the Flash Earth link that Engineer provided, I can see why it's prime real estate. Is that Marina fairly new, btw? Very handy place to live for those that have the lifestyle and the readies.  
I've copied a link below of the proposed new estate...which looks worse than the one already there, imo. Whatever are they thinking, to bring back what looks like pure 60's failed design?!? 

http://www.edwardcullinanarchitects.com/projects/pen.html


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## RichardB (May 3, 2009)

Urban-Warrior said:


> The estate sits on the remains of a Limestone Quarry overlooking Cardiff bay, which is prime real estate for the area.





Urban-Warrior said:


> It too has been dubbed as a failed social housing project.



Maybe I'm cynical but I can't help thinking these two facts are somehow related.


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## djrich (May 3, 2009)

It's grim alright....that PM Dawn tune was shocking 

Nice pics.


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## daddybear (May 4, 2009)

i think tnt is the best thing to happen to estates like that,but give the displaced residents decent affordable housing to live in not concrete featureless jungles like that!!!!Rant over.


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## jonney (May 4, 2009)

Daddybear don't forget to bring my soapbox back. Anyhoo the best the best thing that could happen to estates like that is demolition. In there day they would have been well sought after houing for local families but as decline and decay sets in things go from bad to worse. 60's award winning designs 00's urban eyesaw


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## Foxylady (May 4, 2009)

My turn with the soapbox again! I'll chuck it back in a mo. 



jonney said:


> 60's award winning designs 00's urban eyesaw



Yeah, but have you seen what they intend to replace it with? Just a crap copy of bog-standard 60's style to replace an award-winning one!?!


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## daddybear (May 4, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> My turn with the soapbox again! I'll chuck it back in a mo.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, but have you seen what they intend to replace it with? Just a crap copy of bog-standard 60's style to replace an award-winning one!?!



my turn on the soap box again!that doesnt suprise me foxy its just typical of councils i wonder if they actually listen to the needs of local residents before they made the decision??i think not.why build another concrete rabbit warren?why not build houses with gardens and open spaces for families and give them a better outlook!mad:


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## jonney (May 4, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> My turn with the soapbox again! I'll chuck it back in a mo.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, but have you seen what they intend to replace it with? Just a crap copy of bog-standard 60's style to replace an award-winning one!?!



Foxy you just have to look at any quayside redevelopment or new housing estate to see that all they build these days are overpriced egg boxes with walls so thin that if you fart they can hear it 3 doors down. Every available plot of land that is suitable for building on (in the Northeast anyway) is being bought up or demolished for mainly flats and maisonette style living accomodation. The developers may not be building tower blocks anymore but what they are building is just as bad but they have tagged it as "City Living" give me a Victorian Terrace anyday. Even the house I live in was built in the late '40's and has propper walls and foundations. Up here IKEA are building flat pack houses thats how crap things are getting.


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## Foxylady (May 4, 2009)

jonney said:


> Foxy you just have to look at any quayside redevelopment...



Yes, the same thing is happening here. The new harbourside development in Seaton will be something similar...they're going to build 'luxury apartments' but I'm willing to bet any money that they won't be a smidgeon as good as my council flat. I'd probably be able to fit 5 of them in my place!


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## Engineer (May 4, 2009)

*Billy Banks.*



daddybear said:


> why not build houses with gardens and open spaces for families and give them a better outlook!mad:



Simple, the present government is anti- family.


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## cogito (May 5, 2009)

It's a cool site, spoke to 1 of the last 3 residents just yesterday.

For those wanting to know the extent of the place:






It's pretty massive.


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## Random (May 5, 2009)

I can see why the last residents are putting up such a fight, looks like a wonderful place to live. 

Actually, I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic there or not.


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## littledasypus (May 5, 2009)

*No...*



Engineer said:


> Simple, the present government is anti- family.



Actually, even simpler, everything is about profit. Cheaper building means more profit. It all comes down to cutting costs and making money. They will build what ever is cheapest to build.


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## Bad wolf (May 5, 2009)

Nice one!, looks like a pretty forbidding place!.


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## RichardB (May 5, 2009)

Random said:


> I can see why the last residents are putting up such a fight, looks like a wonderful place to live.
> 
> Actually, I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic there or not.



If it's prime real estate then presumably it _is_, at least potentially, a wonderful place to live. It appears that the planned replacement will be no less grim, just new and inhabited by people with money instead of forgotten people.


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## sallybear (May 5, 2009)

What a 'grim' looking place, to copy what someone else said. But your pics are really great. Had a look at them a few times. Must have been a strange place to go to.


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## littledasypus (May 26, 2009)

*Recogninsed*

I had read this report and looked at the pictures but hadn't noted the location. Got lost heading to a show in Wales and saw it on the hill, recognised it straight away. Is grim. Definitely prime real estate, so I'm sure there will be some new monstrosity there before too long.


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## mr_bones (May 26, 2009)

What a hellhole! Great atmospheric pics though.


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## Mr Sam (May 26, 2009)

that looks a dire place, a mini park hill


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## Landie_Man (May 26, 2009)

Nasty! All I can think of is:







+






=


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