A year after coal tip landslide, my dream home is worthless

Leslie Morgan fears his dream home may now be "worthless" because of the tip behind him

Leslie Morgan and his wife, Dianne, spent years building their dream home in the former mining village of Cwmtillery.

Little did they know it backed on to a coal tip - a large mound of waste left over from former mining operations.

When it collapsed a year ago, 350 tonnes of slurry thundered through the Blaenau Gwent village and buried Mr Morgan's driveway. It took him three days to dig it out.

"We didn't realise there was a tip [when we bought it]," he said.

"We're fearful, every time it rains it's like a river down here. My wife is on edge, she's not sleeping."

A year on from the devastating landslide, he said it had ruined their enjoyment of the home they poured their time and money into.

"It's taken the pleasure out of us living here and it's devalued our home, it's become worthless."

Mr Morgan said he and his wife spent thousands on the property

Some 40 homes were evacuated when Storm Bert caused a river of tip waste to flow through Cwmtillery's streets last November.

Residents at the time described seeing slurry carrying "trees and big boulders", and buildings left deep in sludge and mud.

Brian Preece, a life-long resident of the village, said his house suffered serious water damage in the landslide.

"I looked out the window and the water was lapping at the bottom of the window sill," he recalled.

Some 40 homes were evacuated when the landslide struck Cwmtillery

Mr Preece said fellow residents' insurance premiums had sky-rocketed despite the value of their homes plunging.

The 77-year-old also fears for the safety of his grandchildren and has banned them from playing in the garden because it backs on to the tip.

"If [a landslide] comes it will knock the house straight over," he said. "It'll wipe people out, if it comes at the right time there'll be loss of life."

For decades, very little was known about the locations and conditions of Wales' disused coal tips.

But a landslide in Rhondda Cynon Taf five years ago prompted the introduction of a register and legislation to monitor the country's disused tips.

Some 2,500 have been identified and 360 are classed as having "the potential to impact public safety".

During a visit to Cwmtillery, Deputy First Minster Huw Irranca-Davies said he could not guarantee the site was now safe.

But he added the Welsh and UK governments had spent more than £220m on making coal tips safer across Wales.

"If you're asking me as a minister can I give a 100% guarantee on every disused tip in Wales, no," he said.

"I can give you the guarantee we're doing everything we possibly can to make these communities safe by this... seismic investment."

Like many in Cwmtillery, Brian Preece wants the tip removed before he can feel safe

A new law was passed in the Senedd earlier this year to improve coal tip safety.

But the Welsh government previously said it could cost up to £600m to make coal tips safe across the country.

Four Welsh councils later told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee the money "only scratches the surface" of what was needed.

In Cwmtillery, the land is being reprofiled and new drains are being installed, which the government said would "help stabilise and reduce the risk of future landslides and erosion".

But it might not be enough to convince some residents to stay; the Morgans are thinking of abandoning the home they spent thousands perfecting.

Mr Morgan said the only way he would feel safe was if the tip was gone completely.

"I'd like to see it removed - it's frightening."