A Bill that provides a ‘crucial step forward’ in protecting Welsh communities from disused tips, both coal and non-coal, has today been passed by the Senedd.
The Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Bill, the first legislation of its kind in the UK, will create the Disused Tips Authority for Wales to address safety risks posed by Wales’s industrial past.
The new Authority will become a Welsh Government sponsored body with powers to:
- Ensure disused coal and non-coal tips no longer pose a threat to communities through instability
- Establish a comprehensive system for assessment, registration, monitoring and management of all disused tips
Following the successful vote in the Senedd, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said:
“This legislation represents a crucial step forward in protecting Welsh communities.
“We’ve seen the impact of tip instability following extreme weather events, including the major landslide at Tylorstown during storms Ciara and Dennis in February 2020, and more recently at Cwmtillery in 2024 after storm Bert.
“We now have robust legislation in place and a structured approach to managing disused coal and non-coal tips to ensure they are not a threat to our communities.
“Wales is leading the way in addressing these challenges and ensuring our communities are safe for generations to come.”
Wales has a proud mining heritage, and its legacy is visible across our landscape. There are 2,573 disused coal tips in Wales, and whilst they are predominantly in the South Wales valleys, this issue impacts both West and North Wales, as well as there being an estimated 20,000 other disused tips (i.e. not coal) in Wales.
Work is already underway towards setting up the Authority, and consideration is being given to its location, systems and governance to ensure all aspects of the Bill are captured and delivered on.
The appointment process for a Chair and Chief Executive will commence shortly and both will be in post before the Authority is formally established on 1 April 2027.
In the interim, the Welsh Government’s coal tip safety programme of work carries on and continues to work closely with local authorities, Natural Resources Wales and the Mining Remediation Authority to deliver an effective inspection and maintenance regime across Wales.
Welsh Government provides funding to local authorities and Natural Resources Wales to undertake works on disused tips, through the Coal Tip Safety Grant scheme. This includes funding work which the local authority might undertake on privately owned tips.
On 20 March 2025, the Deputy First Minister confirmed that in 2025-26, Welsh Government is providing £34 million for our public partners to undertake works on 130 coal tips across Wales – this will take investment beyond £100m in this Senedd term.
The recently confirmed additional allocation from the UK Government will mean over £220m will have been invested in coal tip safety.
