Policy and strategy

Coal tip safety

What we are doing to identify any risks to public safety from coal tips.

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First published:
9 June 2021
Last updated:

Contents

Background

Coal tips are a legacy of Wales’ mining past. The Welsh Government is committed to ensuring our communities are safe.

In February 2020, the impact of climate change saw increased winter storms with extreme rainfall. This caused a landslip at a disused coal tip in Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

In response to the Tylorstown landslide, the Welsh and UK Governments set up a joint Coal Tip Safety Taskforce. This was set up to assess the immediate status of disused coal tips in Wales.

Programme of work

The Welsh Government and its partners are delivering a programme of work. This includes inspection and maintenance of coal tips. It also includes developing new policy and legislation.

Tip categories

Disused coal tips are being given interim categories. The categories reflect which tips may need more frequent inspections to assess drainage and stability. 
Categorisation considers many different factors which are assessed by technical experts. Factors considered include: 

  • Size and geometry
  • Potential hazards
  • Potential receptors
  • Site history
  • Any associated infrastructure
  • Inspection and monitoring requirements

Category D    

A tip with the potential to impact public safety, to be inspected at least twice a year.

Category C    

A tip with the potential to impact public safety, to be inspected at least once a year.

Category B  

A tip with the unlikely potential to impact public safety.

Category A    

A tip with the very unlikely potential to impact public safety.

Category R    

A tip with the very unlikely potential to impact public safety. Potentially removed or levelled and often built over.

Inspections and maintenance

A lot of work has taken place since February 2020 to know the status of each tip and to carry out maintenance.

The Coal Authority have been asked to inspect category C coal tips once a year and category D twice a year. In 2023 the Coal Authority began a process of inspecting all Category B tips. This work helps to identify any maintenance works needed.

Local authorities carry out maintenance work identified by the inspections. The Welsh Government has made available £44.4 million in capital funding for coal tip maintenance over financial years 2022 to 23, 2023 to 24 and 2024 to 25. 

Technology trials

The Welsh Government is funding technology trials at suitable higher-rated coal tips. These aim to identify technologies that could contribute to the safe and effective management of disused tips. 

The trials cover more than 70 sites in Wales. We will review the results of the trials as they are completed. 

Coal tip data

In November 2023 we published maps containing the location of category C and D disused coal tips. We then published maps containing the location of category A, B and R tips in March 2024.

It is necessary to publish updated information to reflect changes noted. This follows on from the findings from the programme of inspections and assessments carried out on disused coal tips. Updated information can include:

  • disused coal tips that have been recorded for the first time, 
  • revisions to the boundaries of some tips already recorded 
  • and some tips that have had their category rating changed.

Each disused coal tip also displays the date of its last inspection undertaken on behalf of the Welsh Government by the Coal Authority.

Based on these revisions new versions of the maps are produced.
 

View the location of disused coal tips.

Table 1: Disused coal tips in Wales Autumn 2024
Local authorityCategory
D		Category
C		Category
B		Category
A		Category
R		Total
Blaenau Gwent61437639129
Bridgend63736966181
Caerphilly74467818207
Cardiff12148025
Carmarthenshire01585853170
Flintshire001940665
Isle of Anglesey0037010
Merthyr Tydfil154429311120
Monmouthshire21078027
Neath Port Talbot132916138530618
Pembrokeshire01654061
Powys01206330
Rhondda Cynon Taf29541079348331
Swansea053612542208
Torfaen629814910175
Wrexham042010785216
Overall category total8527570112113012573
  1. Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Newport and The Vale of Glamorgan have no recorded disused coal tips.                         
  2. Figures are subject to change as a result of ongoing inspections and assessment.

Policy and legislative reform

Coal tip safety is devolved to Wales. The law relating to coal tips is The Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969. This dates from when there was an active coal industry. 

Welsh Ministers asked the Law Commission in 2020 to review current legislation on disused coal tips.

It included a consultation from June to September 2021. The Law Commission published the results of the consultation and its recommendations in March 2022.

Welsh Government published its proposals for a new regime on 11 May 2022 in the Coal Tip Safety (Wales) White Paper. The proposals build upon the Law Commission’s recommendations. The consultation closed on 4 August 2022 and we published a summary of the responses in November 2022.

Welsh Government published its interim response to the Law Commission’s review in September 2022 and its detailed response in March 2023. Welsh Government accepted, or accepted in modified form, the majority of the Law Commission’s recommendations. The response provides an overview of Welsh Government’s proposed approach, and its response to each of the individual recommendations. 

Subject to Ministerial agreement, Welsh Government will introduce a Bill on Disused Tip Safety in the third year of the government's legislative programme.

Privacy notice for landowners

If you have a disused coal tip on your land please view our privacy notice for landowners. 

Further reading

First published

9 June 2021

Last updated

Part of