Residents’ fury at plans for rewilding of Bedwas coal tips

A remnant of the region's past, there are coal tips dotted all over South Wales - and the Welsh Government has said making them all safe is a priority to avoid risks of instability, tip fires and water contamination - and ultimately a repeat of the Aberfan disaster in 1966.

ERI Reclamation has put together proposals to return the former coal tips at Mynydd Y Grug in Bedwas to moorland and grassland, and held consultation events into the plan last month. 

But people in the area have expressed a series of concerns over the potential impact of the plans, including the increased noise, dust, and disruption caused by the company's lorries, the building of a coal processing plant and washery that will be used to clean chemicals from the coal, and the environmental impact of moving waste onto the upper tip and across the common moorland.

Some of the residents believe that the reclamation will not improve the situation, but rather move it onto the smaller tip in Cwmfelinfach.

The residents believe the valley could be destroyed if plans for remediation go ahead (Image: Ruth Sutton)

One resident, Geoff Arnold, is concerned not only for health of wildlife but for the people who will be impacted by the tips.

He said: “If this reclamation goes ahead, there will be so much dust coming off that washery every day and coming down the valley into our homes and the air we breathe. I’m already really ill and on lots of medication – the chemicals being used to wash that coal could kill me.

“It’s going to be so dangerous for so many – a lot of people who live around here are either elderly or vulnerable for some other reason.”

Fellow residents Matthew and Ruth Sutton believe the reasoning behind choosing Cwmfellinach has been “vague”.

Mrs Sutton said: “We don’t believe that Bedwas tip needs rewilding. It’s got plenty of space – why not just move the coal further along there, rather than dumping it on the smaller tip here where nature has already reclaimed the land?”

However, ERI Reclamation say the plans will be a benefit to the area and reduce a number of environmental and safety risks.

The tips were categorised as Category D (highest risk) tips by the Welsh Government, and the work planned by ERI will allegedly lead to a recategorisation to Category A (least risk).

ERI director Steve Williams said that they will return the land to what it was like before the tips were built.

But Independent councillor for Ynysddu ward, Jan Jones, believes that allowing the remediation to go ahead would set “a dangerous precedent”.

The Sirhowy Valley is a hotspot for tourists, which some people fear could be lost if the plans happen (Image: Ruth Sutton)

ERI have said they remain “sensitive” to the concerns of the Cwmfelinfach community.

Mr Williams said: “We can reassure the community of Cwmfelinfach that we have delivered previous projects without the effects they are concerned about.

“We are still keen to hear residents’ views on our draft proposals because we want to work with the residents of Bedwas, Cwmfelinfach and surrounding communities to hopefully reassure them that we’re listening to and addressing their concerns.”

Suzanne Eldridge, another resident, feels that the reclamation will be “completely devastating” to the area.

She said: “We will lose so much of what makes this area a lovely place to live. We are a big hotspot for tourists from around the world, and if we lose the valley to this reclamation, we’ll lose a lot of the tourism too.

"Our house prices will plummet too - we've put a lot of work into our house, and we now worry that this reclamation could cause the property market here to hit rock bottom."

Hundreds of people attended a public consultation with ERI last week, where the residents confronted them with their concerns (Image: Ruth Sutton)

"Our house prices will plummet too - we've put a lot of work into our house, and we now worry that this reclamation could cause the property market here to hit rock bottom."

Mrs Sutton added: "This is our valley, our wildlife and our health that’s at risk – so we are going to fight to the end.”

A full planning application is set to be submitted to the council in March.