Five parties – but not Reform UK – commit to restoration of coal mine-damaged sites in Wales

Martin Shipton

Five out of the Big Six parties contesting the Senedd election have committed to remediate sites in Wales that have suffered environmental damage caused by coal mining.

Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage spoke unrealistically about reopening Welsh mines, did not respond.

Nation.Cymru put three questions to the parties that were drafted by the Coal Action Network, a group that campaigns for old mine sites to be restored and for polluters to pay.

Here, we publish the answers to the questions provided by Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Wales Green Party.

Welsh Labour

Where does your party stand on making polluters pay in Wales?

Welsh Labour will create a new Welsh water watchdog, introduce a new Clean Water Bill for Wales, and will have a dedicated fund to crack down on water pollution.

The system we have today was designed in and for a different time; our regulatory regime is complex and out of date and our aging infrastructure isn’t ready to deal with the realities of the climate and nature emergencies.

Plaid Cymru say they want to reduce water pollution but have pledged a review into agricultural ‘red tape’ within the first 100 days of a Plaid-led government, potentially cutting environmental protections that combat pollution.

How would your party approach restoring sites of coal mining?

The Welsh Labour Government has invested millions into remediating coal tip sites. In addition, the Welsh Labour Government lobbied the UK Government for years to help with the cost of remediating coal tips to ensure communities living in their shadows were safe.

Despite the Conservative Welsh Secretary refusing to even sign a letter in support, the UK Labour Government has committed £143 million over three years to help.

The Welsh Labour Government also developed the first law in the UK to protect people living in the shadows of disused tips all over Wales.

Welsh Labour will make more than 400 disused coal tips safer. We will set up the Disused Tips Authority in Merthyr Tydfil, and harness new technologies in coal tip safety. We will also maximise new opportunities to build solar farms on disused coal tips where appropriate and use mine water to heat more homes.

Given the benefits for wellbeing, what action would your party take to ensure access to high quality green space for the former coalfield communities in south Wales?

This Senedd term, the Welsh Labour Government we have created more than 4,000 green spaces, 790 community food growing sites, 670 community orchards and 80 therapeutic sensory gardens through Local Places for Nature.

Welsh Labour has pledged to create more green spaces in communities and create an urban rewilding taskforce to help nature thrive in towns and cities.

Welsh Conservatives

A Welsh Conservative Spokesperson said: “The Welsh Conservatives will scrap Natural Resources Wales and replace it with an independent, fit-for-purpose regulator to ensure environmental rules are enforced properly. After years of failure under Labour, propped up by Plaid Cymru, we need a system that is effective, transparent and actually holds those responsible to account.

“After decades of being let down, former coalfield communities deserve real action. Our Welsh Conservative vision will protect our national heritage while transforming the economy and ensuring these areas are not left behind again.

“The Welsh Conservatives will establish a £20m Wildlife Wales Fund to support conservation efforts. We want to ensure communities across Wales can access high-quality green spaces that support health and wellbeing.”

Plaid Cymru

Where does your party stand on making polluters pay in Wales? 

Plaid Cymru will explore ways of strengthening the ‘polluter pays’ principle, in conjunction with the UK government, so that those who have profited from the impacts of heavy industry are held legally responsible for fully restoring the land.

How would your party approach restoring sites of coal mining? 

Plaid Cymru is clear that urgent action is needed to make former industrial land safe, protect public health, and deliver long-overdue environmental justice for the communities most affected. We have also consistently called on Westminster to foot the bill for clearing up these hazards, which long predate devolution in Wales.

Plaid Cymru will deliver a national programme to secure and restore disused coal tips, ensuring every tip is properly monitored, maintained, and remediated. We will also establish a Wales-wide strategy on remediating contaminated land – mapping, prioritising and progressively restoring post-industrial land so communities are no longer exposed to derelict sites, toxic soils, and polluted waterways.

Given the benefits for wellbeing, what action would your party take to ensure access to high quality green space for the former coalfield communities in south Wales?

Plaid Cymru is proposing a number of measures to make planning more community-focussed, including a new approach to land-use planning that strikes a better balance between local development needs – including housing – nature restoration and access to nature, food production, and Wales’s future energy needs. This is, in part, about protecting and ensuring better access to green space.

Further, as part of a wider shift in health spending to measures to keep people healthier for longer, we will support initiatives that support more people to access green space to promote physical and mental well-being.

Welsh Liberal Democrats

A Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson said: “Welsh Liberal Democrats believe if you pollute our environment, you should pay to put it right. Local people should not be left picking up the bill while big companies walk away from the damage they have caused. That means tough action on sewage dumping, industrial pollution and making sure those responsible fund the clean-up. Communities across Wales have carried the cost for too long. It is time they saw justice and investment returned.

“ Former mining communities helped build modern Wales. They deserve respect, investment and a fair future. Welsh Liberal Democrats would restore former coal sites, make tips safe, clean up damaged land and turn neglected spaces into places that create jobs, homes and opportunity. We cannot live on empty nostalgia. The future lies in green industry, skilled work and proper investment that gives younger generations a reason to stay and build their lives locally.

“Everyone should have access to good quality green space, wherever they live. Too many former coalfield communities have been denied that for years. Welsh Liberal Democrats would work with councils and residents to reclaim derelict land, improve parks, create safer walking and cycling routes and plant more trees. Green space improves mental health, physical health and community pride. After giving so much to Wales, these communities deserve places that lift people up again.

Wales Green Party

Where does your party stand on making polluters pay in Wales?

The Green Party of Wales manifesto is explicit that polluters should pay.

Our manifesto is clear that environmental harm should not be subsidised by the public purse. It commits to enforcing the polluter pays principle, ensuring that those who cause pollution or environmental damage are financially responsible for prevention, clean‑up and restoration. This principle underpins our wider approach to environmental regulation, land use, and accountability for historic and ongoing damage to communities and ecosystems.

How would your party approach restoring sites of coal mining?


The manifesto recognises the legacy of coal mining in Wales and commits to restoring damaged land and communities.
The Green Party of Wales supports:

Remediation and restoration of former industrial and extractive sites, including coal mining and coal tip areas
Ensuring long‑term safety, environmental repair and ecological regeneration rather than short‑term fixes
Holding those responsible for environmental damage to account wherever possible, consistent with the polluter pays approach

Restoration in our manifesto is framed not only as an environmental necessity, but as a matter of justice for communities who have lived with the consequences of historic extraction for generations.

Given the benefits for wellbeing, what action would your party take to ensure access to high‑quality green space for former coalfield communities in south Wales?

The manifesto places strong emphasis on the role of nature, green space and the environment in improving wellbeing, health and equality.

The Green Party of Wales commits to the following, which would apply to former coalfield communities. Protecting, restoring and expanding green and natural spaces, particularly in communities historically affected by industrial activity
Prioritising access to high‑quality local green space as part of improving health, tackling inequalities, and supporting community wellbeing
Integrating environmental restoration with community benefit, ensuring people are able to enjoy, use and connect with restored land

This approach recognises that access to nature is not a luxury, but a fundamental component of public wellbeing, environmental justice and place‑based renewal, particularly in areas that have borne the costs of extractive industries.

In summary, our manifesto is explicit about the polluter pays principle. We are committed to restoring former coal mining sites, protecting communities from the legacy of industrial damage, and ensuring that people in former coalfield areas have access to high‑quality green spaces that support health, wellbeing and environmental justice.

Reform UK

Did not respond.

Daniel Therkelsen, Campaigns Manager for the Coal Action Network, said: “We welcome the emerging consensus that if a polluter makes a mess in Wales, that polluter must clean it up. This may seem obvious, but the scarred landscape of the South Wales valleys tells a different story.

“We hope whichever party, and parties, forms the next government remembers their commitments to making the polluter pay, deliver restoration, and improve access to green space. This new Government will decide whether to make the mining company of the Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine pay for the restoration promised to the 58,000 residents of nearby Merthyr Tydfil.

“We’re disappointed Reform failed to respond but were not surprised by the party’s recent U-turn on Farage’s short-lived fantasy to ‘reopen the pits’ in Wales.”