More than 3,600 inspections of disused coal tips have been completed across Wales, according to the Welsh Government, amid continued concern among Gwent residents about risks posed by remnants of the country’s mining industry.
Attention has focused particularly on Tredegar and Cwmtillery, where the movement of historic coal waste has caused concern among communities situated close to unstable or potentially unstable hillsides.
Ian Morris, a Tredegar resident, was 13 years old when a coal-tip landslide occurred near Tredegar Comprehensive School in December 1992.
Thousands of tonnes of coal waste slipped down the tip during heavy rain, reached the empty school before the start of lessons and covered the yard, while mud entered classrooms.
The incident occurred at around 6am, several hours before pupils were due to arrive at 8.30am.
A 2022 Law Commission impact assessment also noted that a remediated coal tip in Tredegar moved into a school playground and classrooms in 2011.
Concerns in Cwmtillery were renewed in November 2024, when heavy rain during Storm Bert caused a landslip at a coal tip next to a footpath crossing a culvert at The British in Talywaun.
The Welsh Government said abandoned tips are regularly examined through the national coal-tip inspection programme.
More than 3,600 inspections have taken place so far.
The Coal Tip Safety Grant Scheme also provides financial support to local authorities and delivery partners for the inspection, monitoring, maintenance and remediation of tips on both public and private land.
Natural Resources Wales and several councils conduct additional inspection programmes independently.
Inspections may identify drainage issues, inadequate surface-water management, erosion, overgrown vegetation and other maintenance requirements.
The Welsh Government said Wales must adapt the management of its mining legacy as the climate changes.
The Climate Change Adaptation Report considers how disused coal tips may be affected and recommends measures for their future management.
More frequent and extreme rainfall is expected to require authorities to adapt their approach.
The South Wales Coalfield was identified as presenting some of the most significant management challenges because of its steep terrain, climate and the proximity of many disused tips to residential areas and infrastructure.
The Welsh Government acknowledged that nearby communities may be concerned about the effect of increasingly severe weather and climate change on the sites.
It said enhanced inspection, monitoring and risk management under the Coal Tip Safety Programme are intended to protect affected communities.
Preparations are reported to be on track, with the organisation expected to employ around 70 staff once fully established.
Work already under way includes recruitment, secondary legislation, statutory guidance, digital systems, governance arrangements and operational procedures for the new regime.
The authority will be responsible for monitoring and inspecting disused tips, managing risks and enforcing the statutory safety framework.
The Welsh Government described the consolidation of specialist expertise and statutory duties within a single body as the next stage in Wales’s long-term management of coal-tip safety.