Earlier this month, the King’s Speech marked a major milestone for our campaign for the introduction of legislation which will ban new coal mines. The Government formally announced the Energy Independence Bill, and with it a commitment to ‘Implement the manifesto commitment to end new coal licenses’. This is a breakthrough that Coal Action Network has specifically been working towards for over two years and is a significant step forward, but our work is far from finished.
The Bill, as currently framed, does not categorically include a ban on coal extraction from coal tips, despite significant support for its inclusion. Our legal advice shows clearly why clarification is needed with amendments to the Coal Industry Act and how to amend the Act with the upcoming legislation. Strengthening the Bill to include a full prohibition remains our top priority as it moves through Parliament.
Following the King’s Speech, both Houses began several days of debates on the Government’s programme. Across the Commons and the Lords, MPs and Peers have not only welcomed the commitment to end new coal licences but have also highlighted the need for the legislation to go further by specifically addressing coal tip extraction. Their interventions show a growing cross‑party understanding that a credible coal phase‑out must cover all forms of extraction.
We are grateful to the following Parliamentarians for highlighting coal tips in their speeches:
"I welcome the commitment to ending new coal licences in the coal licences Bill. While Wales’s coalfield communities can rightly be proud of their heritage, it is vital that we now protect them from the environmental and social harms of further extraction. That is essential for those living near the Bersham colliery spoil tip in Rhostyllen, in my constituency. Given that private companies are now seeking to mine coal tips, which would inflict the same issues on communities, this type of extraction should also be prohibited."
"The King’s Speech includes the new coal licensing ban, which is welcome. However, as I have raised before in Parliament, the proposed ban in its current form does not guarantee the prevention of commercial extraction of coal from coal tips in Wales. The Government should bring measures forward to close this loophole so that companies can never profit from the more than 2,500 tips, containing millions of tonnes of coal between them."
"Long-lasting bitterness arose when profits from coal were rarely used to Wales’s benefit, yet we were left to clear up the mess and live with dangerous tips. Please will the energy independence Bill ensure that the full costs of removing or securing remaining coal tips are not lumbered on to the Welsh Government, nor left to private companies to work residual coal in a largely unregulated way?"
During their party conference, Plaid Cymru announced plans for their first hundred days of Government, should they win the Welsh election. Having now formed the Government, we hope to work with them and other Members of the Senedd to achieve some of those priorities. This is the last of three posts outlining opportunities which could help them to do that. Focussed on industrial emissions; Wales could be a world leader in emissions standards which creates a much cleaner, forward looking domestic industry which will be in high demand now and for decades to come.
By continuing to use coal in sectors where it can be more challenging to replace it, like cement production, risks just offshoring the mining – and the pollution – abroad. Alongside the new electric arc furnace for steel production at Port Talbot, a low-carbon cement sector would create a heavy industry in Wales ready for a Net-Zero economy. This would also open up export markets for Welsh industry to meet the growing demand for green steel and cement in the EU, driven by the incoming mandatory lifecycle carbon reporting for buildings and green standards.
Meanwhile, Wales’s mining legacy means large amounts of abandoned mine methane are leaking from coal seams long after mining has finished. Rapidly reducing these leaks is vital for a stable climate, especially since former Welsh mines produce an estimated 49% of the UK’s abandoned mine methane.
The Government’s industrial strategy must support Wales’ two cement works to switch coal for alternative fuels and use different ingredients for cement clinker to reduce the energy needed to make cement. Negotiating this with stakeholders early on will be key to leading the way in industrial decarbonisation.
The EU has already set rules to mitigate methane leaks by 2030; Wales should adopt similar rules to stop the leakage here.
These recommendations would help the new Government in the following areas of Plaid Cymru's first 100 days commitments:
Published 14. 05. 2026
During their party conference, Plaid Cymru announced plans for their first hundred days of Government, should they win the Welsh election. Having now formed the Government, we hope to work with them and other Members of the Senedd to achieve some of those priorities. This is the second of three posts outlining opportunities which could help them to do that. Focussed on environmental justice for coal field communities; the new Government has the opportunity to right some of the wrongs of Wales' industrial past and to ensure that all types of coal extraction are prohibited.
Thousands of hectares of land in South Wales have been dug up for coal mining and left in an under-restored, sometimes dangerous, state. These derelict sites break the promises made to nearby communities, who were told they would eventually get an improved local environment to make up for years of disruptive mining. Now some communities face a new threat—coal tip extraction—which hasn't yet been entirely banned by either Westminster or the Welsh Government.
A review of under-restored opencast coal mines should be the starting point for restoration work that focuses on what communities want and boosts nature on each site. This should be the main goal of the new Mining Legacy Working Group. This group needs support and resources from the new Welsh Government and must include the voices of local residents most affected by these sites, as well as the groups advocating for them.
The new Government should be clear where it stands on coal tip extraction with a permanent ban, making sure that restoration works serves public safety, not private profit. They can do this in the first hundred days by pushing the UK Government to change the Coal Industry Act 1994 to ban coal tip extraction as part of the Energy Independence Bill. Since this legislation is already planned, adding these small changes would create big improvements in comparatively minimal time.
These recommendations would help the new Government in the following areas of Plaid Cymru's first 100 days commitments:
During their party conference, Plaid Cymru announced plans for their first hundred days of Government, should they win the Welsh election. Having now formed the Government, we hope to work with them and other Members of the Senedd to achieve some of those priorities. This is the first of three posts outlining opportunities which could help them to do that. Focussed on mine water heat; the incredible heat potential beneath the former coal fields of Wales must be unleashed to reduce energy poverty, shield Wales from fossil fuel price shocks, and meet climate commitments.
Heating homes and commercial buildings uses roughly 50% of all the energy used in Wales. Around 45% of Welsh households are at risk of fuel poverty. About 50% of the population live within ex-coal mining areas, so there is huge demand for heating homes in former coalfield communities. Those communities are located close to abandoned deep coal mines, now filled with geothermally warmed water. This water can be used as a source of sustainable and secure heat which can be circulated through homes and businesses via heat networks. It has already been done in Gateshead, where the council-operated heat network supplies affordable, sustainable, and secure heating through over 5km of underground pipes to businesses, homes, and public buildings.
The main thing stopping local authorities from using the heating potential under our feet is the cost and risk that drilling the borehole will miss the historical mine workings. Our consultation with local authorities showed that a dedicated fund from the Welsh Government to cover the expense and financial risk for mine water heat projects would encourage more local authorities to make use of this otherwise wasted local source of heating. A second problem identified by our consultation was the lack of specialist energy project development capacity within local authorities. Mine water heat networks require technical and commercial expertise that most councils do not have in‑house. By creating a national fund, paired with regional development capacity, the new Welsh Government could bring expertise closer to planning authorities, helping them to tap into this underground heating.
In the first hundred days, the Welsh Government should map out the biggest opportunities for rolling out mine water heat networks by combining several sources of information into one map with the following multiple layers:
Stacking these into one map would highlight hotspots across Wales where mine water heat potential, ‘anchor customers’, and sites ideal for development, overlap – this would pinpoint the most suitable areas to begin work in.
These recommendations would help the new Government in the following areas of Plaid Cymru's first 100 days commitments:
Coal Action Network is proud to present our 2026 manifesto for Wales. With the Senedd elections taking place in May this year, Wales stands at a decisive moment. For over a century, coal has shaped Welsh landscapes, communities, and politics. Now Wales has the opportunity to shape something very different: a future defined not by extraction, but by restoration, innovation, and justice.
Our recommendations are:
We urge all parties to prioritise a bolder, brighter Wales, by adopting these recommendations.
Download a copy in Welsh or English by clicking on either of the images above.
As part of our Politics Unspun series we are unpacking politicians' public comments on coal to challenge any misleading or incorrect messages.
Todays' focus is on comments made during a Westminster Hall debate in December about the oil refining sector. During the debate, Lee Anderson MP made some statements about coal use and extraction which we would like to address as part of this series.
In summary, Mr Anderson’s views in this debate appear to cling to the positives of the coal mining industry without accepting its negatives. These views do not accept contemporary scientific, economic or legal realities and do not consider either the worsening impacts of climate change if the world does not transition from coal, or the vast opportunities that a just transition offers society.
"I worked in the coal mines in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and the whole industry was decimated by the Conservative Government at the time… What the Government did not realise at the time is that when they got rid of a coalmine—each coalmine had a football team, a rugby team, a cricket team, a community club, a miners’ welfare, a brass band and a bandstand in the local welfare grounds—it destroyed whole communities, and those communities will never come back. They will never be the same again."
We absolutely agree with Mr Anderson’s initial statement; the destruction of Britain’s coal communities in the 1980s was profound, lasting, and traumatic. The way the Thatcher Government closed the mines is now taught internationally as a case study in how not to transition from coal; a warning about what happens when governments shut down an industry without planning for new jobs, new skills, or new economic purpose.
This is why we are surprised that he now forgives Thatcher’s economic policies which directly led to the closure of the pits in such a destructive way. The 1980s mine closures were not inevitable, they were damaging political choices – choices which he now appears to support.
While we want to see the end of coal mining in the UK and elsewhere, we campaign for just transitions which benefit workers and communities. The answer is not to just reopen the pits, but to replace those jobs in industries which aide our transition to clean energy.
"It is all well and good saying to somebody, “It’s okay, you can make windmills or solar panels,” or, “We’ll retrain you in green energy,” but they do not want that. This lot do not understand that there are still men and women in this country who want to get up in the morning and go do a proper day’s graft. I have been one of those working men who gets up in the morning at 5 o’clock and goes and does a dirty, horrible, dangerous job. I know what it is like to come home, after doing a horrible shift on a horrible job. I know what the people in these communities feel like."
Communities deserve better than being told their only future is their past. Mr Anderson paints a picture of working‑class pride rooted in dangerous, exhausting labour. But why should workers be condemned to work in ‘dirty, horrible, dangerous jobs’? Pride does not require danger and we should expect more than that now that we have alternatives. Community does not require coal dust and dignity does not require repeating the mistakes of the 1980s.
He seems to suggest that the electricians, welders, engineers and other workers who are installing solar farms and wind turbines do not ‘do a proper day’s graft’. A real pro‑worker position would be to invest in tomorrow’s industries in former coal regions, guaranteeing secure well‑paid jobs for years to come which support community institutions directly AND protect workers from dangerous conditions.
The lesson of the 1980s is not that we should cling to coal. It is that when transitions are done badly, communities suffer—and when they are done well, communities thrive. Mr Anderson is right to honour the miners. But honouring them means fighting for the future of those communities, not chaining them to their past.
"I have heard colleagues talk about “net stupid zero” in the past. We think the targets should be scrapped; we are not against trying different sources of energy to fuel our nation. We are saying we should have a sensible transition. China has got it right: it is burning coal. China is opening coal mines and using coal-fired power stations."
Mr Anderson appears to be contradicting himself within two sentences. ‘We should have a sensible transition’ but ‘China has got it right: it is burning coal’. A ‘sensible’, or just, transition is not what happened in the 1980s, but reopening coal mines and coal power stations now, when the UK has already transitioned from them, would be counter intuitive.
Our view is that China should also be transitioning from coal use and extraction. But pointing to China’s coal use is a way of excusing inaction at home. The Chinese Government should do more to decrease coal use in China. Lee Anderson is a Member of the UK Parliament though and should be helping his community to benefit from the energy transition we are in the midst of.
The Government is reforming planning policy in England and thanks to thousands of our supporters asking for an end to coal extraction in the last consultation in 2024, they are now recommending that planners "should not identify new sites or extensions to existing sites for peat or coal extraction". The Government is now running a consultation on its latest draft which includes this wording.
So it's time for our supporters to take action again and prove that the Government is well supported to prohibit coal extraction. If we flood the consultation with supportive submissions for this particular policy, we will certainly drown out any pro fossil fuel voices seeking to change the Government's mind.
Please take two minutes of your time to send our template submission by the deadline of 10th March 2026.
In November 2024, the new UK Government announced its intention to legislate a ban of new coal mining licences – which we welcomed. Over a year later, the legislation is yet to be introduced, and the Government is not planning to include all types of extraction.
2026 needs to be the year that ALL coal extraction is banned. Here’s Why that is, and How it can be done:
May’s local authority and devolved Government elections will possibly see gains for pro coal candidates. This could result in local authorities across the UK and possibly even the Welsh Government being run by Councillors and Members who are part of a party that has stated its aim to re-open coal mines. While this is impossible in many circumstances; Britain’s 5,000 coal tips are within reach.
The current Welsh Government’s Coal Policy adds a level of scrutiny to potentially prevent coal tip extraction, but a new Government could abandon this policy and approve many of Wales’ 2,590 coal tips to be mined if they have been given approval by local authorities. In England, only local authorities need to approve coal tip extraction- using the same framework which Cumbria County Council used to approve the West Cumbria coal mine.
With more local authorities likely to be led by pro coal Councillors, now is the time to ensure that ALL types of coal extraction are treated equally, banned nationally and that the ban is legislated before any coal tips are approved to be mined by local authorities.
Coal Action Network commissioned leading environmental Barristers Rowan Clapp and Estelle Dehon KC to draft the precise wording of amendments to the Coal Industry Act 1994. This advice showed that relatively minor amendments could be made whilst legislating the coal licence ban to achieve this aim. This advice has been shared with the Government.
Referring to the coal policies of devolved Governments, Energy Minister Michael Shanks told us during a Westminster Hall debate in October; “Their firm view is that they can bring into effect the aim of the Welsh Government and the UK Government to make sure that extraction of coal is a thing of the past. Their view is that their existing powers do that.”
Coal Action Network does not agree that existing powers do prevent further extraction due to the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, we are reaching out to Westminster and the devolved Governments. The Welsh Government in particular needs to consider the wider implications of banning coal tip extraction across the UK. While their coal policy could prevent 2,590 coal tips in Wales from being exploited whilst it is adhered to by a Government which seeks the end of coal; their advocacy for the inclusion of coal tips in this Westminster legislation could almost double their impact by expanding that ban to the other 2,400 coal tips throughout the rest of the UK.
Members of Parliament
Members of the Senedd
Members of the Scottish Parliament
Last month we worked with Members of Parliament from various parties on a Westminster Hall debate about coal tip safety and the prohibition of new coal extraction licences.
The debate happened 59 years and one day after the Aberfan tragedy which killed 116 children and 28 adults. Rooted in this context, the debate highlighted the need to prioritise coal tip safety whilst also preventing the extraction of coal from these tips.
Plaid Cymru MP, Ann Davies, led the debate and highlighted that ‘because of increasingly violent storms caused by climate change, we have experienced further coal tip slips’. This is an important point in this debate as the further exacerbation of climate change, via the extraction and use of more coal, would lead to further slips.
She added ‘The UK Government have pledged to ban new coalmining licences, but they have confirmed their belief that re-mining coal from the tips does not require a licence, meaning that such activity falls outside the scope of the proposed ban. Although the Welsh Government believe that their own planning policies will prevent re-mining, a loophole allowing coal extraction in “wholly exceptional circumstances” has raised concern’.
Labour MP, Gerald Jones, discussed mining companies failing to comply with their legal obligations – a danger which could happen again with coal tip extraction. He used the example of the Ffos - Y - Fran opencast mine in his constituency: ‘When it first opened, the company running the mine, Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, pledged to fully restore the site after it finished operations. I call on it to honour that pledge.’
Liberal Democrat MP, David Chadwick, reflected on the Reform party policy to re-open the pits earlier in the year. A move which, in many cases is not possible, but would be a clear abandonment of our responsibilities to future generations. He said: ‘The people of the south Wales valleys have given more than enough, and we are still waiting for our new south Wales to emerge. We deserve safety, fairness and a future built on renewal, not nostalgia.’
Labour MP, Steve Witherden, made a passionate and precise demand that the Government include coal tips within its coal licence ban: ‘Mining companies offering to remove coal tips in return for commercial access to coal is an easy answer to a difficult question, which we cannot allow, so I ask the Minister this. If the Government truly believe that the Welsh Government’s coal policy and England’s and Scotland’s planning policies are robust enough to prevent coal extraction, why do investors think otherwise? ERI Reclamation is actively seeking to extract 468,000 tonnes of coal from tips in Bedwas, Caerphilly. It clearly believes that the law allows that, and it is putting serious capital behind the belief. If this is approved—it is an “if”—it could set a dangerous precedent, whereby private profits determine which coal tips are removed and others, with less content, are left. It would be a precedent categorising coal tips by their value rather than their potential impact on public safety. Could we see landowners, burdened by maintenance costs, encouraged to sell access to these sites?
We cannot and must not rely on the private sector to make coal tips safe. That duty falls on us. The Government’s coal licensing ban must be strengthened to include coal tip mining.’
Liberal Democrat spokesperson for energy security and net zero, Pippa Heylings MP, eloquently highlighted Coal Action Network’s legal advice which shows how to include coal tips in the coal licence ban: ‘In practice, extracting coal from a tip is no different from open-cast mining. The method is the same, the disruption is the same, the risks are the same and the emissions are the same. The contradiction can be easily resolved. Leading environmental lawyers, working with the Coal Action Network, have proposed an amendment to the Coal Industry Act 1994 to clarify that the mining of coal from coal tips also requires a licence. That small change would ensure that the Government’s coal ban is comprehensive and future-proof.’
Energy Minister, Michael Shanks MP, concluded the debate, summarising that ‘We acknowledge the suggestion to make this type of coal extraction a licensable activity under the MRA, which would allow for a licensing prohibition, but our view is that the current planning policies around the regulations set by devolved Governments already provide robust frameworks.
We are a Government who believe in devolution. We created devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because we believe in devolving power to those authorities, so they are closer to people and to individual circumstances. It is right that we take their lead on these questions. Their firm view is that they can bring into effect the aim of the Welsh Government and the UK Government to make sure that extraction of coal is a thing of the past. Their view is that their existing powers do that.’
While we at Coal Action Network hope that the Minister’s faith in devolved powers to make coal extraction a thing of the past is well founded; we fear that a different Welsh Government could have an opposing aim and would be able to achieve that under current circumstances. The English National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was also not considered by the Minister, which allowed the West Cumbria coal mine to gain planning permission and would also allow coal tip extraction throughout England’s coal fields.
We would like to thank each of the Members for taking part in the debate and making the case for banning coal tip extraction.
Coal Action Network will continue to campaign for the inclusion of coal tip extraction in the coal licence ban.
After the tragic passing of Hefin David MS, a by- election is being held in the Senedd seat of Caerphilly on October 23rd 2025.
Within the borders of the Caerphilly constituency is the proposed Bedwas coal tips re-mining project. In the lead up to the Senedd by-election, Coal Action Network has carried out a survey of the by-election candidates asking for their views about the re-mining of the Bedwas and other Welsh coal tips.
We asked the same two questions to each candidate:
Of the eight candidates, six responded. Each candidates response is published in full here, in order of when we received their response:
“The coal tips of Bedwas represent not only a legacy of our industrial past but a potential resource for our future, if approached with care, innovation, and community oversight.
“I support the responsible re-mining of these tips, provided it is done safely and transparently. After all, this isn’t about returning to the past, it’s about using what remains to build a stronger, fairer future for Bedwas and wider communities across Caerphilly.
“If carried out correctly, coal tip mining can be a bridge between our heritage and our progress.”
"I am opposed to Private enterprise using this just to make a profit. I do not trust them. Yes I want the colliery waste taken away. I want it taken by rail and not road. No to 50 lorries a day for years. There is a rail link close and could be accessed without driving through the villages."
“I have young children similar in age to those children that lost their lives in the 1966 Abervan disaster. That disaster was brought home to me following the coverage of the Cwmtillery coal tip slip, following storm Bert in December 2024. Not that long ago. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the slurry came very, very close to the houses.
Also, a very good friend of mine lives in the western end of the South Wales Coal field, and he tells me that another problem with abandoned coal tip's are, that they are susceptible to catching fire.
Whilst improved drainage may be a solution, it is not a guarantee and it will not stop a fire. There is also the issue of pollutants from the tip running off into the River Rhymney. The present weather pattern is showing more rain, while the Fire Service is telling us that there are more fires on open common ground to which abandoned coal tips form part of that landscape.
To quarry for coal on Bedwas coal tips will we be making the problem worse by churning up the landscape, tempting fate with the possibility of an accident waiting to happen, heavens forbid. There needs to be guarantees that the area is returned safely and with the tips removed.
The question is do we do nothing, and allow our friends, and families, to remain at risk, and that risk be handed down to our children and grandchildren, or do we do something now and remove the present danger?
It's crucial that any actions proposed during the coal extraction and tip removal works have actions in place to mitigate the negative effects on local communities and surrounding areas, such as the country parks.
While I see the potential for positive outcomes, the most important one being the removal of the unsafe tips, I want to emphasize the importance of ensuring that communities such as Bedwas are not negatively impacted. We must hold those responsible for this project accountable and ensure that all proposed mitigation measures are fully and effectively implemented to protect local residents and the surrounding environment.
I believe it's important to find a balance between addressing the long standing issues of these sites and ensuring that any development works benefit, rather than harm, the local area.
"Bedwas Tips: Safety First, but Concerns Remain. The coal tips above Bedwas are classed as high-risk under Welsh Government assessments, with dangers including landslip, fire and water pollution, risks which made worse by climate change. Maintaining and ensuring safety of the tips currently costs CCBC a significant amount of money – money which could be spent on keeping Libraries open and properly funding our schools.
ERI Ltd has proposed a major remediation project: removing spoil and coal, re-profiling the tips, and restoring the land to grassland and moorland. The scheme could last up to ten years and would be funded by selling extracted coal.
Local people rightly want the tips made safe. But the Liberal Democrats believe three key concerns must be addressed before this scheme proceeds.
Coal extracted from Bedwas must only be used where it would displace coal which would otherwise be imported, it should only be used in UK industries that have no current coal-free alternative.
This cannot be controlled through the planning application, only through the contractual agreement between ERI and CCBC. We have questioned ERI and they have confirmed that their current proposal would not restrict how the coal would be used, and therefore that it could be exported or used in power generation – uses which we cannot support.
Before the scheme goes ahead, and before planning is granted:
The role of Caerphilly Council - The tips are owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC). That means the council is central to ensuring safeguards on finance, coal use and environmental restoration.
We note that CCBC recently issued a statement “setting the record straight”, implying there is no existing relationship between the council and ERI. We think it’ highly unusual for a private company to propose such a major scheme on council-owned land without detailed discussions. Residents deserve more transparency about what has — or has not — been agreed.
It is only CCBC who can control how any coal extracted from the tips can be used and ensure that any remediation project is well managed to completion – the statement that they issued gives us no confidence in their willingness or ability to control these matters.
The Lib Dems call on
Our position - We recognise the importance of making the Bedwas tips safe. But this cannot come at the cost of the climate, country park users or local residents. With transparency, strong safeguards and genuine community involvement, the project could deliver safety and restoration. Until such safeguards are in place we cannot and do not support the project.
The Liberal Democrats will keep pressing for a balanced, fair approach that puts people and the environment first.”
"We are in a climate and nature emergency and the response must be swift and serious, so we can pass on a Wales we are proud of to future generations. That means a managed end to the extraction and use of coal. As I understand it, a planning application for the proposed scheme has not yet been submitted to Caerphilly Council.
If a planning application is put forward, I would be open to meeting with Energy Recovery Investments Ltd and with campaigners to hear their points of view.
However, any proposal for the extraction of coal from disused tips falls under Welsh Government's Coal Policy Statement, which dictates that coal licences may be needed in wholly exceptional circumstances, and each application will be decided on its own merits, but the presumption will always be against coal extraction.
I support the Welsh Labour position to issue no new licences to explore new coal fields because they will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis.
The climate and nature crisis is the biggest long-term challenge of our time. But the clean energy transition is our chance to grow the economy, cut bills, and make Britain energy independent again. Like my Labour colleagues, I’m committed to the mission to deliver clean energy by 2030."
“All coal tips must be made safe, but the extraction of coal from them should never happen. Fossil fuels must remain in the past – especially when our planet is in such a perilous state.”
Reform were asked to respond to the same questions as all other candidates, but did not provide any response.
UKIP were asked to respond to the same questions as all other candidates, but did not provide any response.
