SHOVEL OFF
‘We’re living in fear of another Aberfan disaster’ cry locals as travellers ordered to stop digging up land behind homes
Council reveals it's asked travellers stop works
LOCALS living on a Welsh hillside say they're living in fear of another Aberfan disaster after land was bulldozed near their houses.
The families' homes sit below Nantyglo Rugby Club in Blaenau Gwent and they were left shocked when a nearby grassy hill was razed to make room for travellers' caravans.
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They now fear the ground may give way - and claim there are old mine shafts below their homes.
One resident, Yvonne Bell, say she and her neighbours are now worried sick about another Aberfan disaster - which killed 116 children and 28 adults when mining debris poured down a hill.
And the residents' have now had a temporary win - the traveller group has been ordered to halt near the Welsh rugby grounds.
Earlier this week locals cried out for help as the bulldozing continued.
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Yvonne Bell told : “There are old mine shafts under our houses. We’ve had non-stop rain for months and now the land supporting our road and houses have been stripped away.
‘‘We are worried sick that what they’ve done could cause another Aberfan [disaster].”
Another resident, who has lived in the area for over two decades, said the works have left huge mounds of earth behind his property.
He said: "They've just completely bulldozed the ground. It happened last weekend, Thursday I think it started.
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“One minute the ground is there and the next it's gone. I don't know what is going there but they say they are going to put caravans there. It's terrible.
"It's private property so I suppose we can't do anything about it. From what I understand they've done it without any permissions.
What was the Aberfan disaster?
Aberfan, the name of the village, is now synonymous with tragedy after 116 children and 28 adults lost their lives as they were crushed or drowned in coal slurry.
At 9.15am on October 21, 1966, a disaster struck a small Welsh mining community which would devastate the village for a generation.
More than 150,000 tonnes of thick black coal, shale and water engulfed the village, wiping out most of the pupils at Pantglas Junior School.
The incident was a national tragedy which prompted visits from the Queen and the Prime Minister along with donations from around the world.
The disaster unfolded after millions of cubic metres of excavated mining debris from the Merthyr Vale Colliery came thundering down the hillside.
The waste material had been piled high on the side of Mynydd Merthyr - above the village of Aberfan - for years even though there were numerous underground springs below.
"I've just got a big mound of soil behind my window now.”
More than 800 people have now signed a petition to have the works stopped after claiming no planning permission was sought prior to the works.
Land registry documents dating back to 1996 claim the land is earmarked only for grazing - banning any form of construction.
A campaign reportedly initiated by the caravan owners claims the move came in a desperate need for housing.
The GoFundMe post read: "We need help to live. Our family and kids need somewhere to live to raise. Council is not providing us with the right needs so we are doing our own property up which we are entitled to do.
We are worried sick that what they’ve done could cause another Aberfan [disaster].
Yvonne Bell
"We are sick of living in needs that is not being provided."
And now Blaenau Gwent Council has taken action - and called for a halt.
It said: "We consider that there has been a breach of planning control by the unauthorised excavation of this land.
"This includes importation of material, creation of embankments and re-profiling of the area.
"The (stop) notice requires that the activity specified is stopped with immediate effect."
What's the council said?
Blaenau Gwent Council said the work was "unauthorised".
It said: "We can confirm that today (Friday, April 5 2024) we have served a Temporary Stop Notice to the landowners and interested parties using the relevant powers under the Town & County Planning Act 1990.
"The notice will remain in force for 28 days and we are considering options for when it expires.
“We consider that there has been a breach of planning control by the unauthorised excavation of this land. This includes importation of material, creation of embankments and re-profiling of the area.
"The notice requires that the activity specified is stopped with immediate effect.
“We consider that the works may not been conducted in accordance with sound engineering practices including appropriate retaining works, site compaction, appropriate use of gradients to embankments and drainage to ensure the long-term stability of the site.
";It is for this reason that the Temporary Stop Notice has been served.
“We have also commissioned independent Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists to provide an opinion on the likely stability of the land following the works carried out.
"This concluded that there is no immediate risk to nearby properties or the road above as a result of the work but recommends measures are put in place to ensure longer term stability of the land."
The council also said experts had found there was "no immediate risk" to the nearby homes due to the works.
However, locals claimed the works had taken a huge toll on them.
They wrote in a petition: "This situation is not only financially damaging but also emotionally distressing as we feel that our right to privacy is being violated.
"We are calling for immediate action from local authorities to halt this unauthorised occupation.
"We believe that everyone has the right to live peacefully without fear of unlawful encroachments on their property or invasion of their privacy.
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"This petition is personal because it's about protecting what we hold dear - our homes, the value they represent and most importantly, our peace and privacy.
"We urge you all - residents, neighbours and concerned citizens - to join us in this fight against unlawful occupation."
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