Landslide-Affected Residents Seek Relocation Due to Persistent Safety Concerns

Residents who witnessed a coal tip landslide narrowly avoid their homes have stated their unwillingness to reside there if the risk of another incident persists. Dianne Morgan, living directly beneath the tip in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, indicated a preference for the council to compulsorily purchase her home, while other residents also expressed a wish to move. Heavy rainfall during Storm Bert last month necessitated the evacuation of some individuals in the former mining village after a flow of slurry and debris descended onto the road. This development occurs as the Welsh government introduces new legislation aimed at addressing safety concerns at hundreds of disused mining tips across the country. Ms Morgan stated, “People here don’t feel safe and I don’t think we’ll be able to sell this home either at the moment. At some point we were going to move from here and downsize but that’s not going to happen now.” She further mentioned having sought assurances from the council that no additional slips would take place once work to secure the tip is completed. Ms Morgan conveyed the residents’ collective sentiment, saying, “Our feeling here as residents of the area is that they should just remove the tip.” Following the event, the council reported that it had commenced remedial operations to resolve the immediate issues. Despite being aware of the tip’s existence, residents claimed they were never informed it had been classified as a tip with the potential to impact public safety. Concerns regarding the safety of Wales’s old coal tips re-emerged in 2020 subsequent to a landslide above the village of Tylorstown in Rhondda Cynon Taf during Storm Dennis. A total of 2,573 disused coal tips were identified, with 360 designated as having “the potential to impact public safety” and requiring regular inspection. A review, commissioned by the Welsh government, determined that existing laws on tip safety—implemented after the 1966 Aberfan disaster—no longer provided “an effective management framework,” as they were formulated for an era with an active coal industry. Work on a new bill has been ongoing for several years, with the proposed legislation slated for introduction to the Senedd this week. If enacted, it will lead to the establishment of a new body named The Disused Tips Authority for Wales, which would assume responsibility for “the assessment, registration, monitoring and management” of tips. With many tips currently under private ownership, the new authority would be empowered to compel landowners to undertake necessary repair work, with non-compliance carrying the threat of an unlimited fine. The government indicated that grant funding would be accessible, alongside an appeals process for landowners unable to cover the costs themselves. Local authorities primarily hold responsibility for coal tips situated on public land, while some are managed by the Mines Remediation Authority, formerly known as the UK Coal Authority. Robert Sullivan from the organization stated: “Many of these sites were remediated in a period when climate change wasn’t really considered and as a result, the Mining Remediation Authority is conducting a review of climate change adaptation of our sites which includes looking at what we can do to better manage these sites during periods of heavy rainfall.” He added, “We’re looking at the installation of remote smart monitoring such as rain gauges and we’re also looking at what we can do in terms of flood alleviation.” Sullivan further explained, “One of the key factors of tip management is the control of ground water and surface water, so we’re trying to alleviate that problem without having created a detrimental impact on people.” During a visit to Tylorstown to present the proposed new law, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies commented that the recent landslides “illustrate the potential risks and concerns that disused tips present to people living in their shadow.” He added, “This bill is about keeping communities safe and is part of a wider programme of work to improve the safety of disused coal tips.” Plaid Cymru declared that legislation alone was “not enough” and urged the UK government to provide “the full £600m estimate cost of remediating coal tips over the next decade.” The Welsh Conservatives welcomed the proposed bill, stating they would be “looking to ensure that more is done to stop damage from scramblers and 4×4 offroad vehicles, communities are involved in the decision-making process of making safe coal tips and that biodiversity is protected.” Analysis by Steffan Messenger, environment correspondent: Individuals who follow news in Wales have likely viewed the video numerous times. It shows shaky footage, hastily recorded on a phone, of a hillside above Tylorstown village in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) collapsing. The “Wow” from the person filming echoed the sentiments of the nation. The 2020 landslide reopened a painful issue for the Welsh psyche and initiated a process—both practical and political—to reinforce the country’s old coal tips. It is remarkable how little was understood then about their exact number, locations, ownership, and condition. A significant effort in recent years has aimed to fill these knowledge gaps, and today’s announcement introduces legal reforms and a new organization to manage the situation going forward. However, questions persist regarding how to finance a long-term solution, with the leader of RCT council informing BBC News in October that as much as £800m could be required over the coming decades. Another point of discussion revolves around the involvement of private firms offering to fund remediation work at certain tips by selling the coal they excavate. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.