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UEP-Wales

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Billy Banks Estate - Exploration Report

About the estate - Old & New

The history on this estate has been covered many times on here any many other sites so won't repeat what others have already said.

I will say though that since most residents left in 1999, 15 remained. 14 later left, leaving just 1 resident who had purchased their home from the council some time ago.

The Billy Banks Estate was split into two phases and rather than knocking both sites down straight away, they left one standing for me to have a play about with!

Onsite there are 16 blocks of flats, a resident and New Age Travellers. Plenty to take photo's of and plenty to see :)

The Recon & Explore

Knowing that there were still people living at the estate, I felt that doing extensive recon was vital as I didn't really want to be in a tower block to end up having a group of youths or anybody else for that matter coming in to blow the place up - something that has been going on very recently.

Anyway, recon work included speaking to the construction company regarding a demo date, satellite images, road markings (drawn onto the map) and the usual recon photo's and 2 drive-bys, I decided it was time to enter fully.

Parked right outside the entrance point and started to get kitted up. Wife remained in the car keeping an eye out as there was a very high police presence in the area for some reason. Took about 2 hours to walk around half of the site and I avoided the buildings where the resident and travellers are located. I did have alot of fun though in a building with only 2 floor boards, no roof and a 5 floor drop should anything go wrong. Camera went away for this part to keep my mind on staying alive though :( maybe another time!

Towards the end of the explore, there was alot of activity around the streets leading to Billy Banks which looked like a large number of youths wanting to go inside but chickened out due to my car being parked there. If you saw the car you would understand :lol:

The Pictures

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Hmm, I don't think they will anymore!
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I did buzz but nobody was home...
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Something for the rats to look at...
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I hope it's not more bills!
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Move into the light...
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Just popped by to read your meter
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Nothing in the fridge but there was running water in this property...Seriously!
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I love these signs...makes me want to go in even more!
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Bloody mail man always goes to the wrong place!
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The modern way to hang your light switch
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The stairway to heaven...maybe hell!
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Somebody stole my bike and just left this tyre!
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Now I know my house was here somewhere!
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Thank you so much for looking and I hope you like the photo's. It's a great place to go but if you do, watch your step big time even on the street there are huge holes everywhere! If your after any info, give me a shout! (Well an email as depending on where you are, I may not hear you shout!) :lol:
 
What an utter, utter shit hole. It probably looked as bad when it was open. Argh.

I've heard that it was quite bad when it was live but it hasn't helped where people have gone back with LPG tanks and blow the place up. Makes a wicked sky light though :lol:

There was a couple of properties that were very tidy inside and after a bit of decoration could be lived in again but as always with councils, money talks. 1.5million for one of the new houses....yep money talks.
 
Wow what a report! "Pripyat of the West" :p
Love the write up and pics, nice use of selective saturation. :mrgreen:
 
Simply brilliant!

Love this report.....Probably one of the best I've seen, well done!!!!!


They are the most hideous buildings I've ever seen,was the architect on something?? and to think he/her got paid shed loads to design them....my son has done better out of lego!
 
Simply brilliant!

Love this report.....Probably one of the best I've seen, well done!!!!!


They are the most hideous buildings I've ever seen,was the architect on something?? and to think he/her got paid shed loads to design them....my son has done better out of lego!

Thank you so much! It's a great place to walk around and the whole time I was just thinking of all the families that lived in them, raised their children in them.

Not sure about the architect being on something but there was enough drugs going around the place when in full use (probably still is mind) I do know that it won some awards for it's design.... maybe a shortage of buildings to award in those days :lol:

Nice report! :D

What car do you have??

I thought somebody might ask. Normal family car, just a couple of covert lights that's not very covert when my 2 year old daughters sat in the drivers seat! (when parked up of course) :lol: (Nothing to do with law though)
 
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What a depressing looking place even Pripyat looked more cheerfull. Don't know about New age travlers they looked like a load of Pikies mmoved in. Well done for going round. :)
 
feeling "thoroughly depressed" just looking at these.. Well done for conveying the grimness of the place in the pictures.
It dosn't look that old. maybe built in the 70's ??

And nicely featured "analogue" porn.....
 
Thanks! Yes built in the 1970's so not too long ago really. Personally I feel the reason they have been left in this state is because the council wants Penarth to be a "posh" area and with the Billy Banks Estate standing, it was never going to happen.

I bet they looked ok in their day but after being left empty since around 1999, im shocked anything is still there really.

:lol: the porn mag was very funny. Not sure why anybody would want to look at that in a building that is falling down but hey, what ever floats peoples boats... I don't judge, just take the pics :lol:
 
Properly depressing place that is...one of the areas that is better when it's a pile of rubble!
 
It's always strange looking out across the water from Cardiff Bay and seeing this still standing. Especially with all the redevelopment. However, the rest of Penarth also looks like it's in a time warp...
 
I've seen a few reports on this place and you done a great job mate, nice editing too :)
 
wow what a great place to visit. no idea where this is mind..lol

:lol: Just google "Billy Banks Estate" and you shall be greeted with all of the information you need :)

Thanks Madaxe & Nelly, It is such a big place and so much to see there. Just a shame it's stood there for so long not doing anything! Better for me though lol!
 
Not sure if it of interest to many but I thought I would share it anyway.

The last remaining resident of the Billy Banks Estate has now signed contracts over to the site developers and has left the site of yesterday.

The travellers still remain there but there has been some major activity today in the form of several high vis jacket people there - maybe getting them out or something I don't know.

Anyway, if you want to pop along, It's probably not going to be there much longer.

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Note the nice shirt & shoes! I really wasn't planning on going here again today!
 

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