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Senior councillors have backed plans to impose a stricter inspection and maintenance regime on coal tips.
The new scheme aims to ensure that all coal tips in the Caerphilly County Borough are safe.
Councillor Jamie Pritchard, Deputy Leader of the council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Property, said the new scheme was a “planned and preventative” approach with tougher enforcement.
What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?
A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.
It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.
Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:
- Cllr Philippa Marsden (Ynysddu) – Leader
- Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Infrastructure, Towns and Property
- Cllr Colin Gordon (Pontllanfraith) – Corporate services
- Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Customer, Performance and Property Services
- Cllr Ross Whiting (Risca West) – Learning and Leisure
- Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Social Care and Housing
- Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Waste, Public Protection and Street Scene
- Cllr Andrew Whitcombe (Abercarn) – Sustainability, Planning and Fleet
Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.
Last updated November 9, 2021
Currently the local authority does not have the power to enter private tips without permission, but its proposed that negotiations will take place between the landowners and the council to agree access to the sites if improvement work is required.
In a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, March 23, Cllr Eluned Stenner, cabinet Member for Performance, Economy and Enterprise, said: “A consistent approach is well overdue in this area.”
The council has had a tip inspection and management procedure in place since 2013, but following the landslip in Tylorstown in the Rhondda Valley in 2020, caused by Storm Dennis, the Welsh Government reviewed all coal tips in Wales.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Philippa Marsden, said: “The Tylorstown tip was on many people’s minds as our county is littered with coal tips.”
Following Storm Dennis, all tips in the borough were inspected, but no areas of concern were identified.
Thirteen out of 92 coal tips owned by the council and 38 out of 109 privately owned tips in the borough are considered to be “high risk” – these are inspected by the Coal Authority every six months.
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Marcus Lloyd, Head of Infrastructure, insisted there were “no issues” with any coal tips within the borough, but one tip is being closely monitored following the identification of “significant movement”.
He added: “We have been working very closely with the Coal Authority to ensure the high risk tips have been inspected.”
Sites at Bedwas, Pontlottyn, Aberbargoed, Abertysswg and Penallta were the main focus in 2020/21. In total, the predicted spend on tips maintenance in the 2020/21 financial year was just over £1 million.
In an Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee meeting, held on Tuesday, March 22, Cllr Stephen Kent suggested the use of drones to monitor coal tips. Mr Lloyd said this was something the local authority is trialling.
The Welsh Government is currently developing new legislation on Regulating Coal Tip Safety in Wales. Recommendations this year are likely to include the setting up of a new supervisory board responsible for the registration of all tips, their classification and agreeing tip management plans.
This will provide a consistent approach to tips inspection and maintenance across Wales.
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