08-07-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Assurances on inspections given on coal tip in Blaenau Gwent
At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council's Economic Development and Environment Management scrutiny committee on Tuesday, July 8, councillors received a briefing on the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for the next five years.
Infrastructure services manager Kevin Kinsey explained the council's areas of responsibility as one of the authorities that is tasked to deal with flooding incidents.
Within the document disused coal tips are mentioned – this is because of the risk that their stability could 'fail' in periods of heavy rain.
This happened last November, when 40 homes had to be evacuated during Storm Bert as heavy rain caused a landslide from an old coal tip near Cwmtillery.
Mr Kinsey told councillors that there are 129 disused coal tips in Blaenau Gwent and the council 'owns and maintains' 53 of them, which includes the one in Cwmtillery.
Cllr Wayne Hodgins (Independent) wanted some clarification on coal tips.
'It's quite alarming that they are our responsibility,' said Cllr Hodgins.
Mr Kinsey explained that the council has an 'inspection regime' in place and maintenance work is funded by the Welsh Government.
Cllr Hodgins said: 'That does put a large strain on our resources, there may need to be a review of how we manage those tips with the limited resources we have in house.'
Mr Kinsey said that the Welsh Government had provided the coal tip safety grant to fund maintenance work in the aftermath of the Tylerstown coal tip landslide in 2020.
Mr Kinsey said: 'We've been able to undertake a lot of work, and we spent just under £2 million in tip maintenance across our tips plus private tips as well, if we feel it's justified.
'In terms of our physical resource it is very limited we are only a very small team.
'Be assured that these inspections are undertaken and where maintenance work that needs to be done it is undertaken.'
Cllr Sonia Behr (Labour) asked if private owners were charged for inspections and for work to be carried out on their disused tip?
Mr Kinsey said: 'We don't charge, it's Welsh Government funding.
'Under the coal tip maintenance programme, funding will be made available to private landowners that has to be directed or undertaken by the local authority.'
Councillors agreed the draft strategy which will go before a future meeting of the Labour Cabinet for a decision.
