‘It brings back memories of Aberfan’: coal tip collapse in storms sparks revolt in Welsh valley | Wales
Thill, a dark mess dotted with stones and twigs, covers the entire ground floor of Ralph Connor and Tina Honeyfield’s terraced house in the former coal mining village of Cwmtillery in South Wales. They use their phone lights to show what happened when a a long-abandoned coal slope collapsed during last weekend’s torrential rain and burst through their front and back doors.
“Our house took the brunt of the landslide… I spent an hour holding the door to prevent the manure from entering [last Sunday night],” says Connor, 49, as he stands in the cold gloom of their stark living room. “It was scary, but when you’re in it, you just react. It’s fight or flight.
The millions of tons of coal mined from rich seams beneath Cwmtillery and other Welsh valleys fueled British industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. But the mining companies left behind giant piles of debris on the hillsides, which now pose a growing threat to the miners’ descendants—not only because heavy rains can cause landslides, but also because the carbon released from the same coal they mined hundreds of years ago , driving global temperatures to rise and causing more rainfall.
The peak above Connor and Honeyfield’s home has been categorized as posing the highest risk to public safety under a Welsh Government program launched following a landslide in a nearby former mining valley in 2020. Overall, there 360 coal tips are considered at risk in Wales, which are inspected twice a year or once a year as increasingly heavy rainfall makes them more unstable.
The entire Connor-Honifield family, including their two teenage children, have been put up in a family room at the Premier Inn since the landslide. But they return regularly because they support the community cafe in the village. Other residents were also moved in case more fell from the top. “People are angry that we’re living under a tip that we didn’t know was dangerous,” says Honeyfield, 49. “I’d like it removed because then I wouldn’t have to worry about it.”
The Welsh Government appreciated it necessary at least £500m to £600m to fix the country’s councils in 2021, but the Conservative government has failed to secure additional funding. The Labor government allocated £25m in its first budget, but it costs between £30m and £40m to restore a single tip. “I think Labor voters for life are disappointed. They feel the valleys have been overlooked,” Honeyfield says. “They’ve always been Labour, so they’re laying the blame at their door.”
Now a political party that denies the floods are linked to climate change and has made opposition to net zero one of its flagship policies could reap the rewards. To Nigel Farage Reform United Kingdomwho came second in 13 Welsh constituencies in the general election, has set his sights on the 2026 Welsh Sened election. as your next breakthrough.
There are some signs of support for reform outside Connor and Honeyfield’s cafe, Caffi Tyleri. A group of dog walkers finish their coffees. “I voted Labor all my life … and my mom and dad did … but that’s it,” said Christine Taylor, 78, a retired factory manager who has lived in the area all her life. “I’ll try Reform and see what they do.”
The landslide triggered painful memories of the Aberfan disasterwhere a coal tip slid down a hill, killing 116 children and 28 adults in 1966. “Brings back memories [of Aberfan] to every Welshman because it was such a terrible, terrible time. I knew a first year teacher who died [in the disaster]” says Pat Lewis, 77, a retired teacher, sitting outside the cafe. Lewis also voted Labor throughout his life. But she’s not sure if she will in two years. “They have to get better [the tips]. It happened here. Somewhere else it could be much worse. who knows Who knew of Aberfan?’
The same heavy rain that may have caused the Cwmtillery landslide also filled rivers in the Welsh valleys. In the market town of Pontypridd, 20 miles away, the River Taff burst its banks again, flooding many of the same homes that were flooded during Storm Dennis in 2020.
Although fewer properties have been flooded than last time, feelings are still running high. Leslie Glennie, 57, said her husband only received a text message about a flood warning indicating the homes would be flooded after water began bubbling through their laminate flooring. “I’m mad as hell,” she says as multiple dehumidifiers dry her soaked floors and walls. “We had no warning. We had no idea…it ended up rising six inches.”
Her daughter, Becky Carney, 30, who is autistic, found the experience terrifying: “I hate feeling trapped and claustrophobic. When I saw the water coming in, everything came to mind. I thought I was going to drown. I felt so overwhelmed.”
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The first Minister of Labor of WalesEluned Morgan, said last week that investment in flood defenses had protected a significant number of homes in Wales. But that’s no consolation to Glennie, who is furious that more hasn’t been done to protect the city since 2020. “That’s what happened with Storm Dennis. I don’t want to experience any more flooding. i don’t want [Becky] to go through them,” she says. “I will never vote Labor again. But who can you trust? Who will help us?’
While Natural Resources Wales (NRW) insists flood warnings were issued in Pontypridd at 7.41am on Sunday, some residents claim the first they heard of the flooding was a knock from Carolyn Morton, who runs the dental clinic lab on the road. “Nobody could be seen when the river started on Sunday morning,” said Morton, who rushed to the road after seeing the river level rise on the NRW website. “I am angry with the authorities because they continue to shift the blame. Nobody wants to take responsibility.”
On the other side of the river, the same homes were flooded again. Some residents complain that they have been denied sluice gates that were put in place by the municipality after the last flood. “It’s climate change … but there are things that could have been done to help us. We applied for flood protection, but they said we didn’t qualify,” said Linda Davis, 78, who was displaced again from her flood-damaged home. “They didn’t want to know.”
People who moved after the recent floods hoped the road would be better protected. “We knew it had flooded in Storm Dennis, but we were told the official categorization was a once-in-a-century storm,” said Mike Crippen, 49, who works for Cardiff University. “It was meant to be a long-term site, but if we decide we can’t live with the river now, it might be difficult to sell it again.” He was alerted to the flooding by Davis, who knocked on his door. Now he has to change the kitchen and find temporary housing. He has applied for a £1,000 flood recovery grant from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. “Insurance paid for everything…but they pulled out [of] the market now. The new company is likely to increase premiums.”
Reform UK’s newly appointed Wales chief spokesman, Oliver Lewis, is looking for an opportunity: “It is very likely that support for us will continue to grow, particularly in South Wales.” He claimed that the political parties in government in Cardiff and London were being held responsible for the failure to invest in Wales’ infrastructure, including flood defences: “[The flooding in Wales] reflects inadequate flood defences.” However, Lewis denies it is linked to climate change: ‘It is a red herring. This is ridiculous. Britain has had bad weather forever… the point is that these debates are being hijacked on the basis of climate change… rather than asking very serious, legitimate questions about governance.’
Back in Cwmtillery, a soft dusk falls over the tightly packed terraces clinging to the valley. Connor believes the UK government should take responsibility for the legacy of coal used to power the British economy: “All these Welsh resources were stolen… taken… cleaned out and Wales was left with the consequences, which is really dangerous. “
