Skewen: Some people out of mine-flooded homes for six months

Some residents flooded out of their homes after a mine blow-out will not be able to return for at least six months, the Coal Authority has said.

Eighty people were evacuated from Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on Thursday and residents were urged to stay away due to safety fears.

Some have returned but others will be out for months, and the Coal Authority (CA) could buy a small number of homes.

Water flowing out of Drummau Mountain has found a "new path", it said.

The CA said the "blow out" was caused by a blockage underground which led to the water breaking out to find the easiest path.

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Chief executive Lisa Pinney said work to cap the mine shaft would take three months but a new water management system will have to be built deep underground to divert the water, which will take at least six months.

She said the authority was looking at "every option" to get as many people back in their homes as quickly and safely as possible, including buying some homes from residents.

Where is the water coming from?

At least 80 people had to leave their homes in the village after flooding

Water is now coming out of the ground at the junction of Drummau Road and Goshen Park in the village.

According to the authority, there is a mineshaft at the junction of Goshen Park. Water had been flowing through an underground channel there.

However a blockage has formed in it, and water has built up in the channel over time, causing the blow out.

Ms Pinney said: "There's a lot of water coming off the mountain, off the extensive, very ancient mine-workings on the hills above.

"Water, when it's found a path, that tends to be its new path. What we need to do is put in this new permanent solution, so that it is properly managed and it will have a new permanent pipeline which will take it safely through the village and out to a discharge point."

A temporary water diversion will remain in place in the meantime.

Will people have to move for good?

She said the authority was focusing on alternative access to get as many people back in their homes "on a permanent basis" as soon as possible.

However she cautioned: "There will be at least a small number [for] who that will be a longer period of time.

"I hope it will be a very, very small number [who will have to leave for six months]. There are different options and we need to have that discussion with anybody that it might affect."

Firefighters in Skewen helped evacuate people from their homes

The authority does not think any houses are structurally unsafe and does not use compulsory purchase orders on properties.

Ms Pinney said: "We do sometimes buy houses if the residents are happy to sell them and we have a reason for needing to do that so for example if there was a case of real subsidence for example."

What help can residents get?

The water rushed through the streets of Skewen

A dedicated residents' phone line on 0800 2884268 will go live from Wednesday at 09:00 GMT and Neath Port Talbot council is putting updates on its website.

The number will be staffed every day from 9am to 5pm until Friday, 5 February including the weekend, and then from Monday to Friday for as long as needed.

Appointments to discuss remedial work, what financial support is available and arranging liaison with insurers if relevant would be available over the phone or video call.

Covid secure face-to-face appointments will also be available at Neath Port Talbot council's incident support centre at Abbey Primary School on Thursday, Friday and some days next week.

Ms Pinney said they were working to get residents in as soon as possible so that insurance assessors could come in and people could start work on their homes.

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