Council secures Welsh Government funding to boost coal tip safety

The Welsh Government has made £520,000 available to repair drainage channels at a former mining site in the Ogmore Valley.

More than £390,000 of the funding awarded to Bridgend County Borough Council will be invested in renewing concrete drainage channels that have been installed around the site.

An additional £130,000 will enable the council to carry out further necessary maintenance on natural drainage ditches and culverts which are located close by.

The work, which will ensure that excess water can continue to drain safely into existing streams and rivers instead of entering the ground, is being undertaken at a site known as Ocean Colliery Number Six.

The site was previously owned by the Ocean Coal Company, and is located near Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley.

Precautionary

Councillor John Spanswick, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “While these works are precautionary, they are important for safeguarding the future of this former industrial site against the effects of climate change by ensuring that excess water cannot enter the ground and risk making it unstable.

“Instead, the drainage will continue to run along the channels towards existing water courses, and the work will prevent further problems from developing that might otherwise affect the stability of the site later on.

“All former mining sites are subject to regular safety inspections, and this has only identified minor maintenance issues which have all been promptly dealt with.

“Residents can be assured that Bridgend County Borough Council is continuing to work alongside Welsh Government, the Coal Authority, Natural Resources Wales and the Coal Tip Safety Taskforce to regularly monitor all local sites, and to ensure that they remain safe.”