The Council was delighted to welcome the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Wales to the Tylorstown Landslip remediation site this week. They saw the progress being made at one of Wales’ flagship coal tip projects – one of the sites benefitting from major funding for monitoring and essential works.
First Minister Eluned Morgan and Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies visited the works site on Wednesday, June 18. They were welcomed by RCT Council Cabinet Member Councillor Mark Norris, the Council’s Service Director for Highways and Engineering, and project contractor Prichards.
The Council continues to welcome Welsh Government’s significant support in this area, having received £11.49 million from the Coal Tip Safety Grant for 2025/26. Last week’s spending review by the Chancellor also announced £118 million UK Government funding for coal tip safety in Wales over the next three years, which will be on top of Welsh Government’s continued funding.
The Council uses the coal tips funding it receives for monitoring and regular inspections, responding to reactive repairs following severe weather, completing maintenance work, and undertaking detailed reviews of priority tips. This includes drainage and stability assessments and site investigations.
This activity is carried out by a dedicated Coal Tips Safety Team within the Council, and will help to develop a prioritised list of works across both Council-owned tips and on privately-owned land. Officers will seek to work with the anticipated Disused Tips Authority to further its efforts and activities.
First Minister Eluned Morgan said:“It was great to be in Tylorstown to see the vital work being carried out to make sure that our coal tips are safe and stable. The Welsh Government has provided substantial funding to local authorities across Wales to enable this, including important remediation work like we’re seeing in Tylorstown today.
“The £118 million additional funding for coal tip safety from the UK Government, announced by the Chancellor last week, recognises the shared responsibility to address the legacy of coal mining in Wales. This builds on what we in Welsh Government have funded since 2020. Between us we will have invested £220 million in this work which will support hundreds of communities living in the shadow of these tips.”
Councillor Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Development and Prosperity, added:“I was very pleased to accompany the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to the Tylorstown Landslip work site on Wednesday, as the Council continues to welcome significant funding in respect of our former coal tip sites here in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Since 2021, the Council has spent more than £20 million of Coal Tip Safety Grant funding from Welsh Government, with £11.49 million secured for this year alone.
“On top of this, last week’s spending review also pledges an extra £118 million funding for coal tip safety across Wales over three years – which highlights that this area of investment for former coal mining communities is an absolute priority for Local Authorities, the Welsh Government, and the UK Government.
“Residents should be reassured that there is a lot of unseen work going on by our dedicated Coal Tips Safety Team to monitor, assess and investigate all of our former coal tips sites. This work is in no way confined to the winter months or times of severe weather – it is an all-year round, co-ordinated activity undertaken by a dedicated team of officers here in Rhondda Cynon Taf. They continue to bring forward and deliver a prioritised list of works – with the sole focus of improving safety and alleviating the risks for our communities.”
Update on Tylorstown Landslip Remediation Plan, Phase Four
The landslip on the Llanwonno hillside in February 2020 was triggered by the unprecedented rainfall in Storm Dennis. It blocked the river valley, broke a foul sewer, covered a water main with several metres of debris, and covered a shared footpath. A four-phase remediation plan has been implemented – and included emergency clearance work in the weeks that followed (Phase One).
Phases Two (embankment scour repairs) and Three (removal of material from the valley floor to receptor sites and reinstatement of paths) are complete, along with additional work to stabilise the slope. Work as part of Phase Four (remediation of the remaining tip on the hillside) continues to be progressed.
Current site activity includes installation of the final drainage infrastructure on the donor site, where the Upper Llanwonno Tip has been significantly reduced in volume and reprofiled. This drainage work is vital to manage ground water and surface water on the hillside, and improve the overall site’s stability.
A longer-term plan for land and habitat management is being put in place – which includes consideration of what can be done to mitigate wildfires. In addition, a system of technical monitoring will be installed, while minor work to complete the new receptor site to the rear of Tylorstown Tip is underway.
During two previous phases of work, a receptor site was utilised in Ferndale to place slipped material from the river and valley floor. An exciting project to create a BMX pump track at this site is nearing completion, with this new leisure facility set to be officially opened soon. Tree planting has also taken place on one of the other receptor sites that was used earlier in the scheme.
Posted on 20/06/2025