Funding support granted for Torfaen former coal tip site

I am really pleased to see the Welsh Government announce a new multi-year grant scheme to enable vital maintenance works to make coal tips safer.

It means people who live or work in the shadow of coal tips can feel safer in their homes and workplaces, especially given the risks to disused coal tips with more extreme weather.  I know people living near the British will welcome this money.

The new scheme which was announced by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies at the British Regeneration Project in Abersychan, will allow local authorities and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to plan, develop and deliver larger, more complex schemes.

Works will range from minor maintenance through to major capital projects worth up to £7 million. Phase one of the new Coal Tip Safety Grant will provide funding to 10 local authorities and NRW until the end of the 2029-30 financial year.

Key projects receiving funding include: Nant-Yr-Odyn, Merthyr Tydfil – £7m; The British Regeneration Project Phase 1, Torfaen – £5.6m; Graig Ddu Dinas, Rhondda Cynon Taf – £4.8m; Pen Yr Englyn, Natural Resources Wales – £3.8m; and Tylorstown Landslip Remediation, Rhondda Cynon Taf – £2.3m.

Torfaen Council will receive a total of £14,163,352 across the next three years. This is made up of £13,012,250 in capital funding and £1,151,102.18 in revenue funding.

The investment is great news and will help Torfaen Council realise its ambitions to improve safety at the site, which is valued by the local community. The project will also have wider benefits in terms of protecting important biodiversity and alleviating the risk of flooding in the local area.

For years, the Welsh Labour Government has been working hard to protect our coalfield communities, investing to improve coal tip safety and bringing in a brand new law so that we can go even further.

And this year, the UK Government has committed £25 million in the current financial year and a further £118 million over the next three years, bringing total UK investment to £143 million.

Combined with Welsh Government funding of £87m, more than £230 million has now been committed to coal tip safety across Wales.

Given the unpredictable nature of coal tip conditions, including the impact of extreme weather events, the grant scheme will be reopened annually to ensure funding remains responsive to emerging risks and changing local priorities.

Lynne Neagle is the member of the Senedd for Torfaen.