08/02/2024 P964807 Can you provide a copy of the following reports
2018 ESP – Cilmaengwyn Landslide Assessment Have been uploaded onto the NPT website
2022 ESP – Drainage Assessment – Godre’r Graig Primary School Have been uploaded onto the NPT website
2023 ESP – Hydrological Assessment – Godre’r Graig Primary School Have been uploaded onto the NPT website
Any reports or correspondence relating to monitoring visits to Godre’r Graig Primary School throughout 2022 and 2023 that are not published on the NPTCBC website currently. Monthly monitoring has been ongoing and all data collected to date is currently being prepared for issue in March 2024 (checking and presentation work underway).
Details of any drainage or other work at L44 Cilmaengwyn Tip in from 2022 till today. Please include any drawings, plans or other documents or emails. Have been uploaded with the 2022 & 2023 Reports
Any inspections, reports or correspondence relating to L44 Cilmaengwyn Tip and its inclusion in the Welsh Government’s Coal Tip Safety Regime, including correspondence with the Coal Authority and Welsh Government since its creation in 2020 till today. See attached reports and answers to previous FOI questions
08/02/2024 None I recently wrote to the minister for climate change MS Julie James and the tip safety team at welsh government to ask “Could your department or the minister clarify if the site T37552 is causing concern to Godre’r Graig School currently, and if so what plans are in place to ensure that this concern is removed and the school building can be reused? If there are no plans for such, can you tell me why?” . They have responded “This is a matter for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and we advise that a query is raised directly with them” 1) Could you provide an answer to the above query? Refer to Tip Remediation Options Report on website https://www.npt.gov.uk/media/16384/esp7234e043564-godrer-graig-tip-remediation-options-report-rev-4-final-22921.pdf?v=20211116162704
2) In addition, can you explain how the ESP reports suggested there was a large quarry spoil tip, yet the new Coal Tip Register shows a small coal tip in the old sandstone quarry. To illustrate the WG coal tip map is overlaid with the ESP wider village risk map below. “The new tip register is taken from historical records an low resolution lidar. The tipped material is not apparently included in the new tip register map and this may be due to the digital source data.
Material tipped downslope was delineated from the 1877 historical map. The downslope tip boundary was also estimated by The Coal Authority in 2019. The tip boundaries were defined/refined during on-site geomorphological mapping in 2020; this is currently the most accurate boundary map for the tip.”
3) How was the L44 Cilmaengwyn tip first recorded on the authorities’ tip register in October 2017 if no assessments were undertaken till 2019? and how has it been missed since 1969? Desk top study using NRW lidar maps
4) From may 2017 till May 2019, a review of all spoil tips in NPT was undertaken by the Coal Authority together with inspections under contract. Why does the L44 Cilmaengwyn tip not feature in that program of all high, med, low risk quarry and coal spoil sites in NPTCBC? Between 2017 & 2019 the CA were only inspecting NPT owned Coal tips as that was the main focus until Tylers Town
5) The June 2019 Coal authority L44 tip inspection report was the catalyst for providing advice that was interpreted by ESP, then NPTCBC to mean that the school must close immediately. The report indicates that the inspectors undertaking the inspection are the same two inspectors who undertook the May 2017 and May 2019 program of inspections. Why does it say that when that is not true and is the authority satisfied to rely on a report where fundamental information has been published despite the publisher knowing it to be untrue? Please can you clarify the question and we will endeavour to answer it
6) Why did the Coal authority inspector not remain on site until the authority was informed as were the terms of the 2017-2019 tip inspection program Part of a rolling program to inspect NPT owned Coal tips
7) Why does the ESP 2021 Darren view report state that Entry was obtained by warrant served by NPTCBC and the Police, when you state you have not applied for any warrant? The visit of 12th February 2021 was under a warrant. We understand the further visits were by consent and did not require a warrant.
8) The Coal authority was asked to provide support to NPTCBC in preparing the information required by the Coal Tip Safety Team at the Welsh Government and I note that is the same inspector that undertook the 2019 inspection. Why were the inspection reports relating to L44 for the national inspection program missing from Egress and the server this autumn, and why did the CA say in september 2023 they have not inspected L44 because they think it’s a sandstone quarry? What report is the basis for the inclusion on the National Tip Register? Unsure why the CA told you this but I would suggest that you ask them. CA inspected L44 tips in Feb 22, July 22, Feb23, July 23 & Nov 23 and they all appear on Egress.
9) I am also waiting for a response regarding the chain of emails that led to the Darren View inspection and report that still has not been provided despite you saying on three separate occasions that I have received it. I have not and I have previously stated this. In addition you have said both that there was a planning investigation at Darren view and also that there was no planning investigation and when I have sought clarity you have not responded. I would like the email chain and an answer. We have already provided all the information previously that we are able to as the investigation is still ongoing. Some communications, documents and information are exempt under Section 30 due to ongoing investigations by the Authority.
