Contaminated soil tests for 112 homes in Amlwch, Anglesey

The council said it would provide support for residents on the Craig-y-Don estate

The gardens of 112 homes are to be tested to see if they have been contaminated by a smelting copper works in the area more than 200 years ago.

Soil samples will be taken from the Craig-y-Don estate in Amlwch on Anglesey.

The council said the ground survey was a "precautionary measure".

The town became the world's primary copper producer in the 19th Century, while fertiliser was also manufactured there from about 1889.

Before Craig-y-Don was built in the early 1950s, the site was often referred to as "Gwaith Hills" (Hill's Works) - a reference to the Hill's Chemical Works which manufactured fertilizers there.

From about 1786, the site was also used for smelting copper, with much of the intense activity located between the Parys Mountain mine and the town's port.

The council has written to residents to inform them that while there was no evidence of any contamination, it has a responsibility to investigate sites which could have possible contamination.

It has been given funding from the Welsh Government to appoint specialists to do the work during December and January.

'Raise concerns'

Council leader Llinos Medi said a report with the initial results of the survey was expected in March 2018.

"The survey is a precautionary measure," she said.

"I realise that this will raise concerns amongst residents, but I also want to reassure them that the county council will do everything it can to ensure appropriate support and guidance until this matter is resolved."

Teams of councillors and council officers will be at Craig-y-Don from Monday onwards to meet with tenants or private owners and answer any questions they may have.

Shan Lloyd Williams, the council's head of housing service who will lead a group to monitor the work, said: "A large number of properties on the estate are now in private ownership, but as this issues affects the whole estate we will ensure that the sampling process is undertaken on behalf of all residents, at no cost.

"These assessments are essential to reassure individual families and the local community."

Both Welsh Government and Public Health Wales officials are being kept informed about the survey.