6:11 am - February 24, 2025
Residents in South Wales are sounding the alarm over the dangers posed by disused coal tips, nearly 60 years after the devastating Aberfan disaster. The recent partial collapse of a coal tip in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, which forced the evacuation of around 40 homes, has brought these concerns into sharp focus. Coal tips, made up of waste material from coal mining, have been a part of the landscape for decades, but many remain unstable and pose significant risks to nearby communities. The collapse in Cwmtillery occurred after heavy rainfall during Storm Bert, raising fears that similar disasters could happen again if these sites are not properly managed.
The Aberfan disaster of 1966, in which 144 people, including 116 children, lost their lives when a colliery spoil tip collapsed, is still fresh in the minds of many. It remains the worst mining-related disaster in British history and serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unstable coal tips. For residents like Dianne Morgan, who lives near the Cwmtillery tip, the recent collapse has brought back memories of Aberfan and highlighted what they believe is a failure to learn from the past. Morgan, who has lived in her home for 10 years, was unaware that the tip behind her property was classified as category D, the most dangerous type, until the collapse occurred. She expressed frustration that the presence of the tip was not disclosed during property searches, stating, “If I had known there was a tip behind me, I wouldn’t have built here.”
The collapse in Cwmtillery has also raised questions about the responsibility of authorities to maintain and monitor these sites. There are 2,573 disused coal tips in Wales, with 360 of them falling into the two most dangerous categories and requiring regular monitoring. However, residents and campaigners argue that current measures are insufficient to ensure public safety. Morgan emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “The tip’s got to come down,” but she believes authorities are reluctant to take action due to the cost. She added, “They think they’ll just drag it on and on and then people just forget, but you’re not going to forget, are you? Because every time we have pouring rain or if you hear a noise, you come out here and I have a check just in case it’s something.” For Morgan, the stakes are personal: “It took everything we had to build this, if that came down and wrecked this, even if I wasn’t in it, we’ve got nothing.”
Brian Preece, a lifelong resident of Cwmtillery, shares similar concerns. He grew up playing on the coal tips, unaware of the dangers they posed. However, the recent collapse has left him and his community on edge. Preece believes that the tips need to be reduced to a safe level, saying, “If a larger tip would have come down, my street would have gone.” He criticized the lack of action from authorities, stating, “They’ve said they was going to do this, and they said they was going to do that, but there’s nothing getting done and everybody’s worrying now.” Preece’s sentiments are echoed by many in the community, who feel that their safety is being overlooked. He added, “The only safe way, on my behalf, and I’m sure everybody else, is they should be dropped. Alright, they say it’s going to cost a lot of money, but they’ve got to drop it. You can’t put a price on children’s lives, on anybody’s life, and it should be down.”
In response to these concerns, the Welsh government has announced £25 million in funding for coal tip maintenance and proposed the creation of a Disused Tips Authority for Wales to oversee safety efforts. Additionally, high-risk tips are monitored regularly, and inspections are increased during extreme weather. However, campaigners argue that the funding is insufficient to address the scale of the problem. Stuart Adams, a member of the campaign group Clear South Wales’s Coal Tips, pointed out that even minor slips can cause significant disruption to communities. He noted that the tip at Cilfynydd Common collapsed in 1939, long before the Aberfan disaster, and warned that without proper action, similar tragedies could occur again. Adams said, “Nothing has changed with regards to the tips,” and emphasized the need for more robust measures to ensure safety.
The situation in South Wales highlights the enduring legacy of coal mining and the challenges of managing its remnants. While the Welsh government has taken steps to address the issue, including introducing new legislation and increasing funding, there is a widespread belief that more needs to be done to protect communities. For residents like Dianne Morgan and Brian Preece, the fear of another Aberfan-like disaster is ever-present, and they are calling for urgent action to make the disused coal tips safe once and for all. As Morgan put it, “Irrespective of who owns it, it’s got to be sorted… You don’t know where it’s going to come down next.” The hope is that the lessons of the past will finally be learned, and the safety of these communities will be prioritized before it’s too late.