A new bill aimed at creating a dedicated authority to manage Wales’s disused coal and non-coal tips has been introduced today.
The Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Bill, spearheaded by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who also oversees Climate Change and Rural Affairs, sets the stage for a comprehensive approach to ensure the safety and stability of disused tips.
The proposed legislation would establish the Disused Tips Authority for Wales, a Welsh Government-sponsored body responsible for the registration, assessment, monitoring, and management of disused tips across the country. This marks a UK first, placing Wales at the forefront of developing a robust safety framework for abandoned mine and quarry tips.
Learning from Past Tragedies
The Bill’s introduction comes in the wake of a significant coal tip landslide at Tylorstown in February 2020, where over 60,000 tonnes of debris slid into the Rhondda Fach River. This incident, triggered by storms Ciara and Dennis, highlighted the urgent need for systemic reform. The Coal Tip Safety Task Force was established soon after, and the Welsh Government commissioned the Law Commission to review existing legislation. Their findings concluded that current laws are outdated and insufficient for managing the risks posed by disused tips.
Deputy First Minister’s Commitment
Marking the occasion, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies visited Tylorstown to underscore the importance of the Bill. He said:
“Wales has a proud mining heritage, and it is imperative that we have a structured approach to managing disused coal and non-coal tips to ensure they are safe and not a threat to our communities.
“These landslides, as well as the recent incident at Cwmtillery, illustrate the potential risks and concerns that disused tips present to the people living in their shadow.
“This Bill is about keeping communities safe and is part of a wider programme of work to improve the safety of disused coal tips.”
A Far-Reaching Issue
With 2,573 disused coal tips and an estimated 20,000 additional disused tips across Wales, the scale of the challenge is immense. The new authority would work to prevent such tips from endangering human welfare due to instability while fostering collaboration with stakeholders and Members of the Senedd to refine the proposals.
This Bill represents a significant milestone in safeguarding communities and addressing the legacy of Wales’s rich mining history.
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Image: Ferndale coal washery and Tylorstown tip from cirque top, photo taken in 1984 by Dr Mary Gillham, Flickr – shared under CC BY 2.0
