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After years of campaigning, contaminated land has finally reached the top of the political agenda in Wales, both locally in the south Wales valleys, and in the Senedd.
With unanimous backing in Caerphilly and the Senedd this week to do something, could this be the moment the valleys’ toxic waste problem finally starts to be tackled?
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The Valleys Briefing
(A little round-up of some stories in brief from our valleys. Anytime you have something you’d like to share, no matter how big or small, email laurencrosbymedlicott@gmail.com):
The health visitor strike at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board continues. Councillor in Merthyr Tydfil have called for an urgen resolution to the strike, which has been in effect since February. Additionally, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister Natasha Asghar MS has written to Welsh Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor and health board chief executive Paul Mears, calling for immediate talks with Unite and a negotiated settlement. She cited figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request which reportedly showed referrals from health visitors to social services falling from more than 230 during the equivalent period in 2025 to just 25 during the industrial action in 2026.
Ms Asghar claimed that, during one month, only 300 of approximately 8,000 expected health visitor contacts were completed.
Three town centre properties in Blaenau Gwent have had a makeover with help from the Transforming Towns Place-Making Grant. Homestead Café and Classic Fish Bar in Brynmawr and the Positif Care offices in Abertillery are all looking great thanks to funding from Welsh Government, administered through Blaenau Gwent Council. The funding aims to help people enhance their business, support local employment and contribute to the improvement and rejuvenation of high streets in the Borough.
Eight young carers from Caerphilly County Borough took part in an unforgettable five-day sailing voyage, crossing the English Channel, developing new skills and achieving a recognised sailing qualification. The group travelled to Portsmouth before joining a Challenger yacht operated by the Tall Ships Youth Trust and setting sail for the Isle of Wight and Alderney. Throughout the voyage, the young carers became active members of the crew. They learned how to steer the yacht, handle and hoist sails, operate winches, navigate and work safely on board. They also took part in anchor and overnight watches and shared responsibility for cooking, cleaning and other daily tasks. Alongside the challenges, the group enjoyed exploring Alderney and Cowes, swimming in the sea and witnessing a solar eclipse and meteor display from the yacht. All eight participants successfully achieved their Royal Yachting Association Start Yachting Award, recognising their introduction to sailing and yacht handling. Councillor Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for the young carers to take on new challenges, build their confidence and enjoy time away from their everyday responsibilities. We are extremely proud of everything they achieved.”
“Something has to change”: political pressure mounts over contaminated land in the south Wales valleys
This week has been a huge win for activists and politicians in the south Wales valleys who have been advocating for increased support and action to tackle the problem of contaminated land.
At a full council meeting on Tuesday, 29 September, Caerphilly County Councillors passed a Notice of Motion acknowledging the “significant public concern regarding contaminated land and hazardous waste disposal sites”. They agreed to write to the Welsh Government requesting an independent public inquiry, chaired by an individual independent of the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and the local authorities previously involved.
Janine Reed, who The Valleys Lead previously spoke to after she was banned from the toxic Ty Llwyd Quarry following concerns she raised with the council, told The Valleys Lead she was “elated” that “years of hard work with the support of environmental organisations” were finally paying off.
“In the case of Ty Llwyd, unscrupulous companies dumped in the dead of night, secretly, but analysis of the contamination has pointed towards Monsanto, which was based nine miles away in Newport,” she said. “It had a huge chemical production plant. When legislation was coming into force that made some of their chemicals illegal, rather than dispose of them safely, they found a series of quarries in south Wales where they dumped secretly. It’s only now that these issues are coming to light, with toxins seeping into watercourses and polluting land.”
After the full council meeting on Tuesday, she said she felt “hopeful”, because “where there is a will there is a way”.
The next day, on Wednesday, 30 September, Reed received more good news in the Senedd.
A Notice of Motion urging Welsh ministers to work with the UK Government to ensure polluters pay for cleaning up contaminated land, introduced by Plaid Cymru MS for Blaenau Gwent and Caerffili Rhymni, Niamh Salkeld, was passed with unanimous support across parties.
The motion also called for a UK fund to investigate and remediate sites where costs cannot be recovered, as well as a framework for testing affected land.
“The fact that this motion was unanimously passed in the Senedd reflects that this is an issue across Wales, particularly in our post-industrial communities,” Salkeld told The Valleys Lead. “Local residents in places like Ynysddu and others across Wales have the right to know exactly what is in the ground around them and the potential risks it may pose. This week, we took the first step in getting the environmental justice our communities deserve.”
