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Last Updated: 1 minute ago
The Welsh and UK Governments have renewed their joint pledge to protect communities living near disused mine and quarry tips by bringing back the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips Task Force.
The announcement
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies and Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens confirmed the move during a visit to Tylorstown – the site of a significant landslip in 2020 that originally spurred the task force into action.
The intergovernmental body brings together key partners including the Mining Remediation Authority, Natural Resources Wales, and local councils to coordinate efforts around tip safety across the country.
What’s been done so far
Since the Tylorstown landslip, the task force has driven forward crucial work to map and categorise tips nationwide and helped develop the coal tip safety grant programme. The Welsh Government has committed more than £110m to coal tip safety during this Senedd term, while the UK Government has contributed £143m.
Landmark legislation has also been introduced through the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act 2025, which creates a modern regulatory framework for the assessment, registration, monitoring, and management of disused tips. A new body – the Disused Tips Authority for Wales – will assume responsibility for tip safety from April 2027.
What comes next
The reconvened task force will monitor delivery of the joint programme, support the rollout of the new regulatory regime, and share expertise to promote best practice. It will also work to identify gaps in policy and legislation and develop a long-term strategic approach to the challenges posed by Wales’s mining heritage.
In their words
Huw Irranca-Davies said: “We have made real progress since the awful scenes witnessed at Tylorstown in 2020 thanks to investment, the introduction of landmark legislation and with a new regulatory authority on the way.
“The communities that grew up in and around our mining industry should not have to live in fear of the legacy tips that remain part of their landscape, and this task force will play a central role in making sure we deliver.
“Resuming it sends a clear signal of our commitment to working together for the long term to keep people safe.”
Jo Stevens said: “Ensuring coal tips across Wales remain safe is of the utmost importance. That’s why we have provided the Welsh Government with £143 million in funding to carry out this crucial work.
“The safety of our communities is our first responsibility and our commitment to manage the legacy of the mining industry is another example of two governments working together to deliver for the people of Wales.”
