Coal tips above Blaenavon

There are almost 2,500 coal spoil tips in Wales, with a large number classed as "high risk", following recent landslides in the South Wales Valleys. A taskforce was set up by the Welsh and UK governments to investigate the issue, with the Coal Authority conducting inspections.

Funding over ensuring the safety of the coal tips have become a dispute between the UK and Welsh Governments as coal tip safety are devolved to Wales. The UK Government states no additional funding would be provided on a devolved matter. However, Welsh politicians argue coal tips pre-date devolution and therefore the UK Government should contribute. It is estimated to cost between £500 million and £600 million over 10–15 years to fully address the issue.

Background and history

Wales has numerous coal tips, as a legacy of its coal industry. It is estimated it is home to 40% of all UK coal tips.^[1][2] Most coal tips are disused, however continue to present safety risks, such as the possibility of pollution, landslides, flooding and spontaneous combustion. Climate change has been connected to the increasing intensity of rainfall in the winter and flash flooding, increasing the risk of coal tips becoming more unstable.^[3][2] The 1966 Aberfan disaster, where a coal tip in Aberfan collapsed killing 116 children and 28 adults, was the worst mining-related disaster in Wales' and Britain's history,^[4][5] and serves as a reminder of the potential risk of unstable coal tips.^[1][2][6]

List of coal tips

By July 2020, 2144 coal tips were identified in Wales, mostly in the South Wales Valleys,^[1] with 294 deemed high-risk at the time. Of them, 73% were privately owned, and 27% publicly owned by councils, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) or the Coal Authority.^[3][10] In October 2021, the total number was increased to 2,456 following the Welsh Government publishing the list of the sites and the principal area of Wales they are located in, however refused to publish their exact locations, until they are shared with councils and further work is done.^[7][18] 327 of these tips were classed as high-risk.^[19]

By 2020, the Coal Authority has 24 coal tips in Wales under its management. While NRW has 112, of which one in Treherbert was classed as "high risk" at the time, and was joinly monitored with the Authority.^[11]

The 2,456 sites were categorised A–D, with those in C and D classed as "higher risk", therefore a potential to cause a risk to safety, although not an imminent or immediate threat.^[7][9]

The full categorisation is as follows:^[9]

• Category R tip – Very unlikely potential to impact public safety. Potential for removal or levelling of tip to be built over.
• Category A tip – Very unlikely potential to impact public safety.
• Category B tip – Unlikely potential to impact public safety.
• Category C tip – Potential to impact public safety. Annual inspection.
• Category D tip – Potential to impact public safety. Bi-annual inspection.

The Coal Authority has been given the responsibility to perform inspections.^[9]

The data below is as of 14 November 2023. There are no recorded disused coal tips in Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan.^[9]

Management

Coal tip safety is devolved to Wales, therefore the responsibility of the Welsh Government.^[9][12] The legislation setting the framework for coal tip safety is the "Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969", which was passed when Wales had a coal mining industry.^[9] The Welsh Government has called on the UK Government to provide funding to review the coal tips, as the government argued they were created before devolution. The UK Government stated it does not plan to provide the £500–600 million over 10–15 years that the Welsh Government was requesting to secure 1,200 Welsh coal tips. The UK Government stated as it is a devolved matter, it shouldn't be expected that the UK Government would provide additional funding for. As a result of the lack of UK funding, Welsh finance minister, stated the Welsh Government would have to divert funding from education, transport, housing and other devolved matters.^{[7][21][14][1]} While the Coal Authority, a UK government department, oversees the inspection and safety of the sites.^[22]

References