Section of Wales Coastal Path to remain closed due to public safety concerns

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

A section of the Wales Coastal Path looks set to remain closed due “significant ground instability issues” which the local council say risks public safety.

The news came after a group of councillors from the area launched an online petition in May calling for urgent action to re-open sections of the path around Baglan, Briton Ferry, and Sandfields West.

It was started by Labour opposition members who called for the Welsh Government and local council to repair and re-open these sections as soon as possible.

This followed an open letter from 20 members of the local Labour group in Neath Port Talbot to the Welsh Government cabinet minister for rural resilience and sustainability, MS Llŷr Gruffydd.

In it they said the “prolonged closure” of the path had gone on for several years and was becoming a matter of growing frustration and disappointment for residents who previously used it for walking, cycling, and enjoying the natural environment.

They added the closure had affected active travel connections in the borough as well as tourism, health, and local wellbeing.

The latest petition called on Neath Port Talbot Council to formally write to the new Welsh Government for urgent intervention and a clear restoration plan.

It also requested that Welsh Government secure funding in order to repair the path as well as publishing a clear timetable for its reopening.

The petition, led by councillors Josh Tuck, Carol Clement-Williams, and Suzanne Paddison, said: “The Wales Coastal Path is one of our nation’s greatest assets – a world-renowned route that should be a source of pride for communities across Wales.

“Yet for several years major sections around Baglan, Briton Ferry, and Sandfields West have remained closed, fenced-off, and left to deteriorate.

“This unacceptable situation has denied local people access to an important walking and cycling route, damaged tourism and local businesses, and undermined community wellbeing.

“Residents across Neath Port Talbot are increasingly frustrated by the lack of visible progress, the absence of a clear timetable for restoration, and the continued neglect of a nationally-important coastal route.”

However a spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said while they were supportive of re-opening the route in principal it was not currently feasible to do so safely or sustainably.

‘Sinkholes’

They said: “While acknowledging that the local authority receives funding via Natural Resources Wales to maintain the Wales Coast Path (WCP) the current position as relates to the closure of a section of the WCP in the Baglan/Briton Ferry area is not due to how funding is allocated.

“The route was closed in 2023 following significant ground instability issues, including the formation of sinkholes, which presented an unacceptable risk to public safety.

“While grant funding can support initial works the local authority must also consider long-term maintenance, ongoing safety risks, and legal responsibilities, particularly where the route crosses privately owned land and is not recorded as a registered public right of way as shown on the definitive map.

“While the WCP is recognised as an important route within the county borough the safety of the public is paramount and it is unfortunate therefore that the local authority is unable to re-open this section of the route at this time.

“The local authority remains supportive in principle to the re-opening of the route, however based on the constraints identified through discussions with the landowner, Natural Resources Wales, and Welsh Government it is not currently considered feasible to do so safely or sustainably. The agreed diversion will therefore remain in place at this time.”