As many as 294 ex-coal tips in Wales have been re-classed as “high risk” just one year on from a 60,000 tonne landslide caused by Storm Dennis.

“Just under 300 are higher risk sites but that really just means that they needed much more regular attention and inspection to make sure they stay safe,” states Lisa Pinney, Coal Authority chief executive.

Welsh Government summit will discuss these issues on mine safety Today (Tuesday 16 February 2021).

Wale’s rich coal mining history has left us with 2,000 coal tips. Most of which are on private land and mostly are around the South Wales’ valleys.

Of those, 294 are now categorised as “high risk”, meaning they could endanger life or property in the immediate area.

Seventy of them are in Caerphilly, 64 in Rhondda Cynon Taf, 59 in Merthyr Tydfil, 42 in Bridgend, 35 in Neath Port Talbot, 16 in Carmarthenshire and 8 in Swansea.

The landslip just last year caused by storm Dennis was at Tylorstown, in Rhondda. Work has been completed to map tips and assess their stability.

Lisa Pinney, Coal Authority chief executive stated:

“Just under 300 are higher risk sites but that really just means that they needed much more regular attention and inspection to make sure they stay safe,” she said.

abertridwr tip
image captionRhondda MP Chris Bryant feared local councils will be asked to pay to make tips safe

She said when there were concerns, action would be taken.

“Any tip which is old mining material sitting on a hillside can pose a risk, obviously, but the key thing to their safety is to manage water and keep it away,” said Ms Pinney.

“And that’s why these inspections and maintenance are so important.”

Thankfully there were no inguries in the Tylorstown landslip and work is now under way to secure the hillside.

Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said funding was essential.

“It’s shocking that no proper register of disused coal tips was made when the mines closed, so this work is long overdue,” he said.

“With so many on private land this is going to be a massive and complex piece of work in which parliament and Senedd must work together.

The aftermath of the landslide which engulfed Pantglas Junior School
image captionMore than 50 years after the Aberfan disaster there remain hundreds of “high risk” tips in Wales

“My biggest fear is [Chancellor] Rishi Sunak will demand that local councils pay for this out of their council tax but the poorest communities in the UK should not be forced to pay for tidying up our national industrial heritage.”

The village from above
image captionIn Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, 80 people had to leave their homes after flooding caused by water from a mine shaft

This Welsh Government summit, which will have be held virtually, is also expected to discuss wider issues of mine safety after water escaped when it built up in a mine shaft in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot.

A UK government spokesperson said: “Ever since the devastating storms of early 2020, the UK government has been working with the Welsh Government on its devolved responsibility to provide extra support for flood relief and protection to the communities which were so badly affected.

“In December we confirmed that £31m would be provided for this vital work, of which £9m was to repair vulnerable coal tips.

“We also provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.3bn for next year at the recent spending review so they are well placed to continue this work”

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