Hopes for contaminated land inquiry fade

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Concerns remain over the future of Wales’ industrial dumping grounds, after the Welsh Government declined to commit to a public inquiry.

Caerphilly County Borough councillors voted unanimously in September to call for a national investigation into the impacts of chemicals dumped at the former Ty Llwyd quarry and other potentially contaminated sites.

In a response seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), rural minister Llyr Gruffydd said addressing land contamination is “a priority” for the Welsh Government – but stopped short of backing the calls for an inquiry.

Mr Gruffydd noted “controls governing the movement of waste are now substantially stronger than those that existed historically”, and said the government would explore rules that make polluters pay for remediation works.

The government’s response has been met with disappointment in Caerphilly, where councillors had previously warned against “burying our heads in the sand” over pollution concerns.

Cllr Philippa Leonard, the council’s cabinet member for public protection, said the minister’s letter “falls way short of what all councillors in Caerphilly asked for”.

“Saying the governing of movement of waste is better than it was years ago is not likely to ease concerns in the community,” she added.

A key focus in the borough is the site at Ty Llwyd, near Ynysddu, where villagers have long feared chemicals dumped decades ago could be leaching out into the wider environment.

The council, which now manages Ty Llwyd, said it did not meet a legal definition of contaminated land following “extensive” sampling, but local concerns remain over the site.

Ynysddu ward councillors Jan Jones and Janine Reed told the LDRS they were “hugely disappointed” by the government’s “inadequate and complacent” answer to calls for an inquiry.

They said the response describing current waste rules as stronger “misses the point”.

“The problem is waste dumped decades ago when the rules were weak, and communities like Ynysddu are living with the consequences, including near the Ty Llwyd site,” they added.

The pair also noted the minister had referred to the council “exploring options for the ongoing management of the site” at Ty Llwyd.

Inspections

However, Caerphilly Council’s leader, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, said he was unsure what the minister was referring to.

He confirmed the council continues to carry out inspections at Ty Llwyd, manages drainage systems and reports any spread of leachate to Natural Resources Wales.

Cllrs Jones and Reed said it was “unacceptable” for local authorities to “cope alone” with industrial dumping grounds, where clearing up contamination could “cost millions”.

“Families here want to know what is in the soil, whether it is safe, and who will put it right,” they added.

“They deserve answers, not reassurance. It feels like the Welsh Government has its head in the sand.

“We need national leadership, central funding and a fully open investigation.”

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