Call for “Long term funding solution” for ongoing remediation of old coal tip sites

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has welcomed the publication of disused coal tip data this week but has also called for a long-term funding solution for ongoing remedial works. 

As part of safety measures following the Tylorstown landslide in February 2020, data surrounding the location and categorisation of disused coal tips can now be viewed on maps. 

Cllr Andrew Morgan OBE, WLGA Leader said: “The publication of the maps should help to give people all over Wales the clarity and transparency that they need as to the location and any associated risks presented by disused coal tips. Our industrial heritage can be seen in vast parts of the Welsh landscape, and councils have been working closely with Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and the UK Government, as part of the Coal Tip Safety Taskforce, to identify the disused sites. 

We are extremely grateful for the £44.4 million which has been made provided until the end of 2024-25 for councils and partners to undertake maintenance works of old tips. We would urge the Minister to continue discussions with the UK Government for a longer-term funding solution which will ensure ongoing remedial works, further increase community resilience, and help to tackle the impacts of climate change on coal tip sites in Wales.”

Image: Coal tip above Duffryn in the Afan valley
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Jeremy Bolwell – geograph.org.uk/p/2556511