Responding to news the Welsh Government may have refused repair funding for the Tylorstown and Llanwonno coal tip because there was not a “business case” for profitable land development, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, has called for an urgent statement from the Welsh Government so that clarification can be provided as to how many coal tips with stability issues did not receive the funding support required because of an inability to provide a business case.
The Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Environmental Services Scrutiny Committee report dated 14th July 2014 stated that:
“The Welsh Government has traditionally funded reclamation at 100%. Welsh Government has informed the council that it is unlikely to fund future reclamation work unless there is a “business case” for it. The focus of the business case being on economic outputs such as bringing forward development land… However, this leaves the other sites, some of which have historical stability issues, without potential funding and an increased future liability for the Council.”
It lists among these the Llanwonno Tip which RCTCBC identified as having slipped following Storm Dennis in 2020.
Commenting on the concerns, Janet said:
“It appears the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay have put profit over safeguarding communities when it comes to unstable coal tips, which flies directly in the face of the recent rhetoric that we have heard from Ministers.
“With documents from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council finding that those tips with stability issues being blocked from Welsh Government funding included Llanwonno Tip which witnessed a landslip due to Storm Dennis last year, there are questions that need urgent answers.
“This is why I have called on the Minister for Climate Change to make an urgent statement to the Senedd explaining why the Welsh Government changed the criteria for reclamation funding, and clarifying how many tips with stability issues did not see reclamation schemes funded as a consequence of the business case requirement.
“It is the Welsh Government’s responsibility to fix these tips, and there can be no more excuses as lives are potentially at stake.”
ENDS
