‘Payment error’ saw council receive £259 instead of £259,000 for quarry works

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

A payment error resulted in a council initially receiving just £259 to cover remedial works worth more than £250,000 at a controversial quarry site.

Freedom of Information Act disclosures published by the Welsh Government detail its correspondence with Caerphilly County Borough Council over works at Ty Llwyd Quarry, near Ynysddu.

It includes a government email from July regarding a “payment error on our side” for its funding of improvement works at the site.

Disposal site

Ty Llwyd was previously used as a disposal site, and local campaigners have called for action to prevent harmful chemicals leaching out into the surrounding woodland and properties.

Welsh Government-funded works for 2024/25 included surveys, ground investigations, channel lining and banking retention.

The email notes that “when the grant payment was made for the final works costs (£259,130.02) an incorrect figure was entered, meaning that only £259.13 was transferred to Caerphilly CBC”.

It is understood the error, which has since been rectified, did not have any impact on the agreed programme of works at the site, which have since been completed.