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The company behind plans to remediate Bedwas’ coal tips faced a barrage of questions from angry residents during a heated public meeting last week.

ERI Reclamation hosted three in-person events. Two were in Bedwas, while the final one in Cwmfelinfach proving to be the more fiery.

Residents on that side of the mountain are angry at plans to transport reclaimed coal through Sirhowy Valley Country Park and demanded answers from company bosses.

Janine Reed, independent councillor for Ynysddu, said she had a woman crying in her arms over the situation, adding the “very very angry residents” have been left with more questions than answers.

ERI has defended its position describing those against the plans as a “vocal minority” who are “simply not willing to consider the long-term benefits”.

Why is this happening?

The coal tips above Bedwas, which are owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council, have been deemed “high risk” by Welsh Government.

To make them safer, reclamation company ERI wants to level the mounds, as well as digging up soil from deep within them to lay on top so vegetation can grow.

To fund the work, ERI will extract around 500,000 tonnes of coal from the tip, and sell it. The project, which is expected to last between five to ten years, could begin as early as September, if a planning application is submitted and approved.

As part of the plan, the “preferred” route that the 18 to 20 lorries a day would travel down would run behind Bedwas coal tips, down an existing forest track through the Sirhowy Valley Country Park, past a Covid memorial park, and join the A467 roundabout, near the Full Moon industrial estate.

This final point has been the most contentious among Cwmfelinfach residents, who believe they are seeing “none of the benefits and all of the disruption”.

Concerns

Concerns over the haulage road came to a head on Wednesday February 21 when ERI sat down with members of the community at Cwmfelinfach Workingmen’s Club.

There are also wider concerns that the project is opencast mining by another name – something the company has denied.

The discussions were reasonable enough, according to resident and attendee Mark Wallace, until the haulage route was brought up.

He spoke to Caerphilly Observer about how things quickly escalated: “We asked for details on the route, and why other options weren’t considered. We were told they were, but no explanation was given as to how this assessment was carried out.

“We were also given assurances that the track will be kept open during the works, but how are you supposed to have people on bikes cycling next to a massive lorry?”

On this point, a spokesperson for ERI said: “The haulage route is the most contentious issue currently. We have yet to engage Natural Resources Wales (NRW) fully so we cannot confirm this will even be available for use.

“Our proposal is to share the forestry road with other users, however NRW may make more stipulations. Safety is of course paramount, and we do have plans to ensure all users can still enjoy the track along with our trucks.”

Cllr Reed wasn’t convinced by what she heard concerning the track either. She said: “There’s a Covid memorial garden there that people go to and remember their loved ones. That isn’t going to be the same environment if we have trucks driving past.

“There were people in tears at the meeting over it. One woman came up to me and started crying as that’s where she spread her partner’s ashes.

“It seems like this valley is set to see none of the benefits and all of the disruption.”

Asked if ERI would look into some form of compensation to the area, spokesperson Piers Thomas said: “Of course if it was proven that our operation was causing a clear and obvious negative effect, then we would be willing to enter discussions with the complainer.

“However, our extensive research is showing that our activity will only cause a negligible impact. Ongoing monitoring of the effects will be standard procedure.”

As the meeting rumbled on into the late evening, a “frustrated” member of the ERI team said it is “our coal” when confronted over plans, according to Mr Wallace.

In response to that comment, Mr Thomas said: “The comment of ‘our coal’ was made in error during the intensive exchanges at last nights public consultation. Of course, the coal is not ours, as planning has not been submitted or approved.

“If approved and following the signing of the lease, the coal that is being recovered, will be sold by us to cover the cost of the remediation.”

“I left in tears”

Dr Jo Atkinson has lived in Ynysddu since she was 21. Now 47, she told Caerphilly Observer how the meeting with ERI left her in tears.

“I was so angry with the whole process. I felt ERI came into the meeting unprepared, and contradicted themselves on several occasions over the haulage route.

“For me, the meeting really exploded when people realised that waste will be dumped in the common area and the impact this could have on residents using the woodland.”

Dr Atkinson added that she uses the park regularly to walk and cycle, and is currently running an online survey to get more feedback from other park-goers.

She continued: “We’ve had over 700 responses in two days with almost everyone saying they’re against the idea of the haulage track, and that they use it for all sorts of reasons on a fairly regular basis.

“ERI say they’ll keep the track open but I wouldn’t want to be up there breathing in all the fumes created by the works on my bike.”

This article was amended to state the tips are classed as “high risk” rather than “unsafe”.