THE MS for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders, has asked for an urgent statement from the Welsh Government to clarify how many coal tips with stability issues did not receive the funding support required because of an inability to provide a business case.

Mrs Finch-Saunders, who is also the Welsh Conservative shadow minister for climate change, was responding to news that Welsh Government may have refused repair funding for the Tylorstown and Llanwonno coal tip because there was not a “business case” for profitable land development.

The Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) Environmental Services Scrutiny Committee report, dated July 14, 2014, stated that: “The Welsh Government has traditionally funded reclamation at 100 per cent.

“Welsh Government has informed the council that it is unlikely to fund future reclamation work unless there is a ‘business case’ for it.

“The focus of the business case being on economic outputs such as bringing forward development land… however, this leaves the other sites, some of which have historical stability issues, without potential funding and an increased future liability for the council.”

It lists among these the Llanwonno Tip, which RCTCBC identified as having slipped following Storm Dennis in 2020.

Mrs Finch-Saunders said: “It appears the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay have put profit over safeguarding communities when it comes to unstable coal tips, which flies directly in the face of the recent rhetoric that we have heard from ministers.

“With documents from RCTCBC finding that those tips with stability issues being blocked from Welsh Government funding included Llanwonno Tip which witnessed a landslip due to Storm Dennis last year, there are questions that need urgent answers.

“This is why I have called on the minister for climate change to make an urgent statement to the Senedd explaining why the Welsh Government changed the criteria for reclamation funding, and clarifying how many tips with stability issues did not see reclamation schemes funded as a consequence of the business case requirement.

“It is the Welsh Government’s responsibility to fix these tips, and there can be no more excuses as lives are potentially at stake.”