Coal tips landslide concerns over illegal riding in valleys

Illegal off-road vehicles could damage coal tips and potentially cause dangerous landslides, fear officials at the local authority with the highest number of sites in Wales.

The warning from Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council comes as police have called on the public to report incidents of illegal riding over the summer months.

Coal tips from previous mining activity are a feature of the landscape in many parts of Wales, especially the southern valleys, but can become unstable in bad weather.

Last year the Welsh government published maps showing the locations of 350 tips across Wales that are deemed higher risk and which need regular checks.

The tips are a legacy of decades of coal mining in Wales, which at its peak in the early 20th Century saw 620 collieries operating.

When coal was dug out, the “spoil”, or waste material removed at the same time, was piled into tips which has remained part of the landscape in many mining communities.

But in bad weather, some may become unstable and cause landslides, such as one that occurred in Tylorstown, RCT, after storms in early 2020.

RCT, with 79, is the local authority area with the highest number of Category C and D tips in Wales according to the latest data.

But the council said that off-road vehicle users have caused damage to the drainage systems on some tips.

A spokesperson said this could cause “instability and potentially landslides”, posing risks to “nearby communities and infrastructure”.

Bob Harris, an RCT councillor, said maintaining the infrastructure is both time consuming and expensive, creating challenges amid limited funding.

South Wales Police are also involved in the efforts to tackle off-road biking, which it described as an “anti-social behaviour issue”.

“Illegal riding can cause large environmental issues with the drainage of the land which alters the water course causing the tips to become unstable which may have an effect in the future,” said Gareth Prosser, the force’s community safety manager.

“New trees that have been planted can also be destroyed by the off-road bikes too,” he said, adding that over the years tips have become home to a range of wildlife, including birds, insects and reptiles.

“However, the steep and sometimes unstable nature of the tips makes them a potentially dangerous environment,” Mr Prosser said.

The force added that any witnesses to illegal off-road biking should contact them with as much information as possible, as they attempt to “deter users through the coming summer months”.