Update On Llanwonno Tip
Following the recent disruption and damage caused by Storm Dennis and the intense rainfall over the weekend, the Council is providing residents with an update on the landslip at Llanwonno Tip.
Since the initial movement occurred, the tip has been under 24 hour monitoring and the Council has commissioned consultants to undertake detailed inspections and surveys which will inform an action plan.
Experienced contractors visited the site yesterday and plant and materials have been mobilised to commence the work as soon as practicably possible. The initial work will remove scrub and works will be undertaken to redirect water away from the back face of the slip.
The Council continued to monitor the slip through the night and throughout the morning, whilst the yellow weather warning remains in place. This will be reviewed next week and that there is a monitoring regime in place for all RCTCBC tips.
Disused tips are regulated by the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 and the Council inherited tip assets of the former Mid-Glamorgan Council in 1996. Some tips are under the control of the Coal Authority (e.g. Blaencwm Tip) and they will also have comparable monitoring regimes. Tips are categorised on a risk-based approach from A-D, with D being the highest risk.
Llanwonno Tip is classed as a Category D (3) tip, with the (3) indicating that it is subject to three monthly monitoring which is undertaken by a walk-over survey against a set of monitoring criteria.
Following Storm Dennis, the Council has commissioned independent monitoring of all Category C and D Tips in the County Borough which will be complete by the end of next week.
Engineers have also conducted a walk over survey of Ynyshir Tip and found that whilst water flow across the surface has created some scour, there is no evidence to suggest that any movement has occurred. These findings will shortly be verified by independent engineers.
Meanwhile, an independent inspection of the Albion Tip in Cilfynydd was completed on Wednesday 19th February 2020 and found that whilst some minor reactive works are required, the tip remains in a stable condition. The tip was the subject of a £3m de-watering scheme by the Council in recent years and water levels are continually being monitored by remote systems.
The Council is also aware of issues on the hillside to the west of its Council offices at Clydach Vale. Independent Engineers are in the process of inspecting this matter and assessing potential risk.
