Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “Coal tips continue to scar the South Wales Valleys landscape and are a remaining consequence of our industrial past. However, the impact of climate change and the severe weather events witnessed over recent years has highlighted the ongoing problems and risks that they pose.
“The Council is continuing to work with the Welsh Government and the Coal Authority as part of the taskforce to ensure that this legacy issue can be addressed to protect the future wellbeing of these communities, and I fully support the Finance and Local Government Minister’s calls for Wales to receive its fair share of funding to effectively tackle this legacy issue.
“Coal tips have historically been under the responsibility of the UK Government Ministers – the National Coal Board was a national body and the now the Coal Authority also remains a national body – and this is clearly an issue that pre-dates the devolution settlement here in Wales.
“The fact that the financial cost to make coal tips safe for future generations would not form part of any current Barnett Consequential funding arrangements seems to indicate that UK Government Ministers are saying that funding - under the Formula that should be allocated to schools, the NHS and Council Services in Wales - should instead be used to fund the huge costs associated with the tips.
“With 40% of all tips in Wales, the problem is across the UK and I believe this is an issue that needs a single, joined-up approach with the UK Government providing funding and supporting the Welsh Government on this issue. A centrally-funded arrangement is the only way to resolve this legacy issue, which dates back to the responsibilities of former UK Government Ministers, in a sustainable way.
“The remediation work at the Tylorstown landslip site, for example, is a large and complex civil engineering project, being delivered over phases, with an estimated cost of repair of around £20 million. There is a significant level of funding required, and we are talking about just one project here. Across Wales, we have over 2,000 coal tips with varying risk levels.
“Climate change and its effects on our weather will continue to challenge our society, however, with adequate funding we will be able to reduce the impact on old spoil tips from our changing climate.
“I would therefore urge the UK Government to use the opportunity provided by the Spending Review to tackle the legacy issue of coal tips in Wales.”