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Skewen Incident Updates - Archives

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (17 March 2022)

Fortnightly Updates

We know how important it is to keep residents informed on the activity and progress being made in Skewen, but want to ensure these updates remain relevant. As we are reaching the final stages of our work, we will now be issuing updates fortnightly, rather than weekly, reflecting the reduction in areas to report on. Our next briefing will be Thursday 31st March 2022.

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have continued installing temporary sheet piling to allow us to safely excavate the ground to treat the remaining part of the Goshen Park Junction. This activity will continue next week.
The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

We’re pleased to confirm that we’ve been able to bring forward the start date for the remaining garden reinstatement works. These works will now start next week for those residents who have pre-agreed garden work in their schedule. Martin Parry has already contacted the residents this applies to. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their queries.
Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (11 March 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have connected the capture chamber to the mine water management system which sits on top of the first reinforced concrete slab. We have also started installing temporary sheet piling which will allow us to safely excavate the ground to treat the remaining part of the Goshen Park Junction. The reinforced slabs and capture chamber will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.

The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

The garden reinstatement work will commence at the end of March with those residents who have pre-agreed garden work in their schedule. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their queries.
Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (25 February 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

Due to the extreme weather last week, we delayed part of the site works until safer conditions returned. Therefore, this week the build for the capture chamber which sits on top of the reinforced concrete slab has now started. These slabs and capture chamber will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.

The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

This week our onsite operational team have made contact with those residents who have pre-agreed garden work and discussed when this work will be programmed in for. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Community Liaison

This week Melanie is on annual leave and will return on Monday 28 February. If you need assistance during this time please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or speak to our onsite operational team.

Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (17 February 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week the concrete has been poured into the excavation which has allowed us to start building the capture chamber which sits on top of the reinforced concrete slabs. These slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.
The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

Next week our onsite operational team will contact those residents who have pre-agreed garden work and discuss when this can be programmed in for. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their queries.
Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (11 February 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week the steel works have been completed and installed on site. Early next week concrete for the reinforced concrete foundation slabs in the junction of Goshen Park is due to be delivered. There may be some minor disruption to road access whilst this takes place. The slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.

The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

As previously mentioned, remaining pre-agreed garden reinstatement work will now commence in spring. Our onsite operational team will contact those residents near to the time to confirm when this is programmed in for. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk 

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their queries.

Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.


Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (3 February 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have had a specialist team on site preparing steel work that is part of the system for the reinforced concrete foundation slabs in the junction of Goshen Park. These slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.
The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

Our Skewen flooding response policy finished on 31st January 2022 and schedules have now been agreed. As previously mentioned remaining pre-agreed garden reinstatement work will now commence in spring. Our onsite operational team will contact those residents near to the time to confirm when this is programmed in for. If you have questions regarding your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

New Tea Shack location

We know from Councillor Mike Harvey that residents have asked for the tea shack, located on the grass triangle on the Highlands, to be removed as this is no longer needed by the community. We have agreed with a local primary school to provide them with the tea shack as they can make good use of this and we are making arrangements for this to be moved to the new location next week.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been Melanie Beynon has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their garden schedules and other queries.

Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (27 January 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have completed the first phase of excavation and this will allow us to install the steel work for the reinforced concrete foundation and concrete slabs in the junction of Goshen Park. These slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.

The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

Our policy finishes at the end of this month, next Monday 31st January 2022. If you have not yet agreed your garden schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk so that this can be agreed and programmed in before the Skewen support policy ends.

As previously advised, some pre-agreed garden reinstatement work will now be on hold until spring, due to winter weather.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been speaking with residents to discuss their garden schedules before the Skewen policy ends on 31 January 2022.

Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (21 January 2022)

This week

We know this week marks a year since the devastating flooding event in Skewen and appreciate that is has been a difficult and testing year for the Community. We have every sympathy for those impacted and extend our respect and thoughts to the people of Skewen as we approach the first anniversary of the incident. As final work takes place over the next few weeks we want to thank all local residents for your support and patience over the last year as these complex works have taken place

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have completed the installation for the first phase of temporary sheet piling. This will allow us to safely excavate the ground for the installation of the reinforced concrete slabs in the junction of Goshen Park. These slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park. The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

As previously advised, some garden reinstatement work will now be on hold until spring, due to winter weather. Our onsite teams have been meeting with residents this week to finalise their schedules before the policy finishes at the end of this month. If you have not yet agreed your garden schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk so that this can be programmed in before the Skewen support policy ends on 31 January 2022.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been speaking with residents to discuss their garden schedules before the Skewen policy ends on 31 January 2022. Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (14 January 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have started installing the temporary sheet piling which will allow us to safely excavate the ground for the installation of the reinforced concrete slabs in the junction of Goshen Park. These slabs will enable us to fully open the junction in Goshen Park.

The onsite construction team will not be undertaking any planned works this weekend.

Garden reinstatement work

As previously advised, some garden reinstatement work will now be on hold until spring, due to winter weather. Our onsite teams have been meeting with residents this week to finalise their schedules before the policy finishes at the end of this month. If you have not yet agreed your garden schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk so that this can be programmed in before the Skewen support policy ends on 31 January 2022. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been speaking with residents to discuss their garden schedules before the Skewen policy ends on 31 January 2022.

Melanie works Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (7 January 2022)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week machinery has been returning to the site as our operational teams start preparations to install the reinforced concrete slabs that will enable us to fully re-open the junction of Goshen Park.

Recent surface water issues

We are aware some residents have been impacted by surface water flooding this week following the recent heavy rainfall. We can confirm that this did not cause any problems for mine water levels in the area or for the mine water management system, which is now operational.

Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage and we continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed.

If you have any concerns about surface water flooding then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or for sewer drainage problems Welsh Water (0800 0520145).

Garden reinstatement work

Due to winter weather, some garden reinstatement work will now be on hold until Spring. If you have not yet agreed your garden schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk so that this can be programmed in before the Skewen support policy ends on 31 January 2022.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie is now working on Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. If you need assistance at other times please contact our residents’ helpline or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from Neath Port Talbot Council (Thursday 6 January)

NPT Council update regarding the flooding of a Goshen Park property on Sunday 2nd January 2022

Following a flooding incident at a Goshen Park property on Sunday 2nd January, we want to reassure residents that engineers from our Highways & Drainage Team are carrying out extensive investigations into the cause. We will also be working alongside partner agencies to share information and explore possible solutions.

At an onsite meeting with partner agencies and contractors on Monday (3rd January), a number of residents raised concerns with our Highways & Drainage Manager about what they believed contributed to the flood. We can confirm that all of these concerns will be looked into and any findings from our investigations will be made available to residents.

We understand this incident may have caused further stress and anxiety amongst residents living in the area, and we would like to remind residents that the council’s Local Area Coordinator for Skewen (Emma Jones, 07583780991 or e.jones7@npt.gov.uk), is still available to support people who have concerns for their own or someone else’s wellbeing.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (Wednesday 22 December)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

As mentioned in our update for residents last week, the road is now reopen as a single carriageway with temporary traffic lights in place. Thank you for your patience with this. Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead for highways; if you have any concerns please contact them on 01639 686013.
The security cabin at the top of Penshannel / Drummau Road junction has now been removed and the security guard is based at number 37 Goshen Park. The current security patrols will remain in place.

Christmas Arrangements

Our onsite construction team will not be undertaking any works from now until 3 January 2022. However, the main Griffiths compound on the Goshen Park junction will be staffed 24/7 throughout the Christmas period and our operational teams will be visiting the site regularly. If you have any concerns about the site or mine water throughout the Christmas period, please do call our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 2884242.
Our next residents’ brief update will be in the New Year when the construction team will be back on site.
Coal Authority duty staff are also working and if you need to contact us please do so via our residents’ helpline 0800 2884268.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work has continued this week with 56 gardens complete. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work for spring 2022, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie is now on annual leave until Tuesday 4 January 2022. If you need assistance during this time please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or speak to our onsite operational team.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen Residents from the Coal Authority (Thursday 16 December)

This briefing contains the latest update for residents. Previous briefings, FAQs and wider information is available on the NPT website.

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have made good progress with the site clean-up and resurfacing works and have agreed the traffic management plan with Neath Port Talbot Council, the lead for the highways. As a result, we are able to reopen the road as a single carriageway with traffic lights from Friday 17 December, ahead of our original schedule. We know this closure has been one of the biggest concerns to residents and thank you for your patience with this.

The security cabin at the top of Penshannel / Drummau Road junction will be removed to allow the road to be reopened. The security guard will be based in number 37 Goshen Park and the current security patrols will remain in place.
The permanent mine water management system is connected underground and, as a result, the single lane closure to the Highlands has also now reopened.

Christmas Arrangements

Our onsite construction team will not be undertaking any works between 20 December 2021 and 3 January 2022. However, the main Griffiths compound on the Goshen Park junction will be staffed 24/7 throughout the Christmas period and our operational teams will be visiting the site regularly. If you have any concerns about the site or mine water throughout the Christmas period, please do call our 24/7 incident hotline 0800 2884242.

Coal Authority duty staff are also working and if you need to contact us please do so via our residents’ helpline 0800 2884268.

Residents’ Meeting

Thank you so much to those that attended our residents meeting on Tuesday to hear about the work that has been completed to date, the re-opening of the road and the work that we will complete in the New Year. We are also grateful to Councillor Harvey for chairing the meeting.

If you attended the call and would like to view the recording then this is now available by contacting the Residents’ helpline on 0800 2884 268 or email customersevice@coal.gov.uk

Hydrogeological report

As promised at last night’s residents’ meeting, we have now made the hydrogeological mine water flooding report available for residents. You can view the report on NPT website or if you would like to request a copy in an alternative format please contact customerservice@coal.gov.uk or call the residents’ helpline.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 56 gardens complete and a further 1 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work for spring 2022, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon, has continued to speak to residents this week to progress their garden reinstatement schedules so that we can programme work in before the Skewen flooding response policy ends in January.

Melanie will be on annual leave from 20 December and return on Tuesday 4 January 2022. If you need assistance during this time please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or speak to on our site operational team.
Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Hydrogeological Report - The Coal Authority (Thursday 16 December)

Downloads

  • Hydrogeological Report - The Coal Authority (PDF 9.01 MB)

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Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 10 December)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have continued with the clean-up of the site and the removal of large machinery in preparation for the reinstatement of the road surfacing on the section of Drummau Road, between the Highlands and Penshannel. Resurfacing of the road with tarmac will commence this weekend and will be completed next week to allow one carriageway to be reopened with traffic lights by 20 December.
The mine water management system is now connected to the existing culvert and the lane that has been closed at the junction for the Highlands will reopen next week.
This weekend the onsite construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Residents’ meeting next week

We will be sharing an update on the works undertaken to date and the plan to complete the remaining work at a residents’ meeting via Zoom on Tuesday 14 December 2021 between 6-7pm. Please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk to register for the residents’ meeting.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 54 gardens complete and a further 2 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon has continued to speak to residents this week to progress their garden reinstatement schedules so that we can programme work in before the Skewen flooding response policy ends in January.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 3 December)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have completed the installation of the mine water flow control chamber and the underground pipework for the mine water management system. Next week, we will complete the connection of the mine water management system and the site will be cleaned and prepared for the road resurfacing on the section of Drummau Road, between the Highlands and Penshannel.
This weekend the onsite construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Residents’ meeting

We will be sharing an update on the works undertaken to date and the plan to complete the remaining work at a residents’ meeting via Zoom on Tuesday 14 December 2021 between 6-7pm. Please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk to register for the residents’ meeting.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 53 gardens complete and a further 4 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams and our residents’ helpline colleagues.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 26 November)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week all of the remaining drilling equipment has been removed from site. We have undertaken the preparatory work for the mine water capture structure and commenced the installation of the mine water flow control chamber. Next week we will be finalising the installation of the underground pipework and will begin to connect the mine water management system together.

One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until the full work is completed.

This weekend the onsite construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 51 gardens complete and a further 5 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams and our residents’ helpline colleagues.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 19 November)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

The remaining drilling and grouting works have been undertaken this week, which has completed the stabilisation of the Goshen Park/ Drummau Road Junction. Removal of the drilling equipment will allow us to begin the preparatory work next week for the mine water capture structure.

We have continued to make good progress on the underground pipework for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.

This weekend the onsite construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 51 gardens complete and a further 6 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been busy meeting with residents to discuss their schedules, so that we can start works as soon as possible.

Next week Melanie will be on annual leave from Wednesday 24 November and will return on Monday 29 November.
If you need any assistance or have a query whilst she is away, please speak to any of our other staff on site.

They will be able to ensure it is passed on to the appropriate person so your query is dealt with as efficiently as possible. You can also call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 12 November)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We continue to make good progress with the stabilisation works at the Goshen Park/ Drummau Road Junction. The blowout void has been filled with stone, resin grouted and the platform has been removed. We will drill and resin grout the remaining boreholes next week, which will complete the stabilisation works.

Work has also advanced well on the underground pipework for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.

This weekend the onsite drilling and construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 49 gardens complete and a further 5 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be viewed on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams and our residents helpline colleagues.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 5 November)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have made further good progress with the completion of boreholes at the Goshen Park/ Drummau Road Junction. We have now filled the blowout void with stone and commenced resin grouting to complete the stabilisation works.

Installation of the underground pipework for the mine water management system has also continued this week. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.

The wet weather this week has meant the safety platform collection had to be delayed; this is now due to be removed from site in the middle of next week. As we advised previously , the platform will be collected by a large vehicle and we are working with our contractors to ensure that this is scheduled at a time, which will minimise disruption to local residents. Residents in the Penshannel area close to the site compound may experience short delays as the platform is loaded onto the vehicle and Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer, will speak with those residents as soon as timings are confirmed.

This weekend the onsite drilling and construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 49 gardens complete and a further 4 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be viewed on our website. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams and our residents helpline colleagues.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 29 October 2021)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have made ongoing good progress with the drilling works at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road. We are progressing with the completion of boreholes for the final phase of drilling works, ready for filling with stone.

We have also continued the underground pipework installation for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.

The safety platform will be removed next week and collected by a large vehicle. We are working with our contractors to ensure that this is scheduled at a time, which will minimise disruption to local residents. Residents in the Penshannel area close to the site compound may experience short delays as the platform is loaded onto the vehicle and Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer, will speak with those residents as soon as timings are confirmed.

This weekend our onsite construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm. No drilling works are planned for this weekend.

Surface water issues

We understand that heavy rainfall is forecast over the next few days. Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage and we continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed. Our contractor continues to monitor the water on the main site on a 24/7 basis.

If you have any concerns about surface water flooding or drainage in the area then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or Welsh Water (0800 0520145).

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 48 gardens complete and a further 5 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon will return from annual leave on Monday 1 November and will be on site to speak with residents.
You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (22nd October 2021)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have been drilling the larger diameter boreholes into the drainage tunnel needed to complete the final phase of our drilling works. We have also continued installing vertical pipes into the mineshaft feature. Once installed, we will begin filling the pipes with stone and resin grouting to provide long term stability.

This week we have made good progress with installing the underground pipework for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.
This weekend the onsite drilling and construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Recent surface water issues

We know that some residents have been impacted by surface water flooding this week following the recent heavy rainfall. This recent rainfall did not cause any problems for mine water levels in the area or for the temporary mine water management system.

Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage and we continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed.

If you have any concerns about surface water flooding or drainage in the area then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or Welsh Water (0800 0520145).

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 48 gardens complete and a further 4 underway.

If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Next week Melanie Beynon will be on annual leave and will return to work the week commencing Monday 1 November.

If you need any assistance or have a query whilst she is away, please speak to any of our other staff on site.

They will be able to ensure it is passed on to the appropriate person so your query is dealt with as efficiently as possible. You can also call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

 

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 15th October)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have been installing vertical pipes into the mine shaft void in preparation for filling it with stone and resin grouting. A further drilling rig arrived on site to drill larger diameter boreholes into the drainage tunnel, which will complete our final phase of drilling works.

We have also continued preparations for the installation of the sub surface drainage for the mine water management system. A route has been dug that will allow the pipework to be laid without affecting existing services. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our onsite drilling and construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday.

Culvert repair

Neath Port Talbot Council have now completed the works to replace the culvert on Sunnyland Crescent and access to this road is now available. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.


Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 45 gardens complete and a further 7 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details can be viewed on our support policy. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon, has continued to speak to residents this week to progress their garden reinstatement schedules so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 8 October)

Heavy rain on Saturday

Following the heavy rain on Friday and Saturday we were alerted on Saturday afternoon that water was flowing from one of the pipes that has been fitted as part of the new mine water management system. The pipe is not currently operational and should have been fitted with a cap to prevent any water discharging.

Unfortunately the pipe was left uncapped following some works, which allowed water to run from it and bypass the temporary water management system. We attended site as soon as it was reported to us and ensured that the problem was resolved.
This should not have happened and we are really sorry for the understandable local concern. We have spoken with our contractors and taken learning from this. We have installed additional measures this week to ensure that water cannot leave the work site and our main contractor has appointed a permanent security guard in the site compound to monitor the water during the hours they are not working.

We are grateful to residents for noticing this and to the fire service for attending to support. In future we would encourage you to report any concerns to us directly on our 24/7 incident hotline 0800 288 4242 so that we can take any action needed as swiftly as possible.

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We have continued drilling this week off the safety platform into the mine feature to provide the permanent conduit to connect to the mine water management system at the Goshen Park/ Drummau Road Junction. A further drilling rig will arrive on site next week to drill larger diameter boreholes as part of the final phase of drilling works.

Traffic management has now moved over to the other side of the Highlands / Drummau Road to enable the installation of the pipework which will be connected into the manhole chamber for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our onsite construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 44 gardens complete and a further 6 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Monday 4th October)

Following the heavy rain on Friday and Saturday we were alerted on Saturday afternoon that water was flowing from one of the pipes that has been fitted as part of the new mine water management system. The pipe is not currently operational and should have been fitted with a cap to prevent any water discharging.

Unfortunately the pipe was left uncapped following some works, which allowed water to run from it and bypass the temporary water management system. We attended site as soon as it was reported to us and ensured that the problem was resolved. No homes were directly affected by the water which mainly remained on our site.

This should not have happened and we are really sorry for the understandable local concern. We have spoken with our contractors, and on site security team will ensure that learning is taken and implemented. We will also be installing additional measures this week to ensure that water cannot leave the work site and provide additional reassurance to local residents.

We are grateful to residents for noticing this and to the fire service for attending to support. In future we would encourage you to report any concerns to us directly on our 24/7 incident hotline 0800 288 4242 so that we can take any action needed as swiftly as possible.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 1st October)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have continued to make good progress with phase 3 of the drilling works at the Goshen Park/Drummau Road junction working from the safety platform stabilising the ground directly around the mine shaft blowout.

We have also now completed the installation the new access chambers on the Highlands and next week we will be installing the pipework to make connections for the mine water management scheme. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our on site teams will continue with planned drilling works between 8am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Culvert repair

This week Neath Port Talbot Council have advanced works to replace the culvert on Sunnyland Crescent. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 41 gardens complete and a further 6 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.


Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been busy speaking with has been meeting with residents to discuss their schedules, so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 29 October 2021)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have made ongoing good progress with the drilling works at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road. We are progressing with the completion of boreholes for the final phase of drilling works, ready for filling with stone.

We have also continued the underground pipework installation for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.

The safety platform will be removed next week and collected by a large vehicle. We are working with our contractors to ensure that this is scheduled at a time, which will minimise disruption to local residents. Residents in the Penshannel area close to the site compound may experience short delays as the platform is loaded onto the vehicle and Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer, will speak with those residents as soon as timings are confirmed.

This weekend our onsite construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm. No drilling works are planned for this weekend.

Surface water issues

We understand that heavy rainfall is forecast over the next few days. Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage and we continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed. Our contractor continues to monitor the water on the main site on a 24/7 basis.

If you have any concerns about surface water flooding or drainage in the area then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or Welsh Water (0800 0520145).

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 48 gardens complete and a further 5 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon will return from annual leave on Monday 1 November and will be on site to speak with residents.
You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (22nd October 2021)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have been drilling the larger diameter boreholes into the drainage tunnel needed to complete the final phase of our drilling works. We have also continued installing vertical pipes into the mineshaft feature. Once installed, we will begin filling the pipes with stone and resin grouting to provide long term stability.

This week we have made good progress with installing the underground pipework for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed until this work is completed.
This weekend the onsite drilling and construction team will undertake planned works on Saturday and Sunday, between the normal hours of 8am to 5pm.

Recent surface water issues

We know that some residents have been impacted by surface water flooding this week following the recent heavy rainfall. This recent rainfall did not cause any problems for mine water levels in the area or for the temporary mine water management system.

Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage and we continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed.

If you have any concerns about surface water flooding or drainage in the area then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or Welsh Water (0800 0520145).

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 48 gardens complete and a further 4 underway.

If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during the coming weeks, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Next week Melanie Beynon will be on annual leave and will return to work the week commencing Monday 1 November.

If you need any assistance or have a query whilst she is away, please speak to any of our other staff on site.

They will be able to ensure it is passed on to the appropriate person so your query is dealt with as efficiently as possible. You can also call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

 

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 15th October)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have been installing vertical pipes into the mine shaft void in preparation for filling it with stone and resin grouting. A further drilling rig arrived on site to drill larger diameter boreholes into the drainage tunnel, which will complete our final phase of drilling works.

We have also continued preparations for the installation of the sub surface drainage for the mine water management system. A route has been dug that will allow the pipework to be laid without affecting existing services. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our onsite drilling and construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday.

Culvert repair

Neath Port Talbot Council have now completed the works to replace the culvert on Sunnyland Crescent and access to this road is now available. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.


Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 45 gardens complete and a further 7 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details can be viewed on our support policy. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon, has continued to speak to residents this week to progress their garden reinstatement schedules so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 8 October)

Heavy rain on Saturday

Following the heavy rain on Friday and Saturday we were alerted on Saturday afternoon that water was flowing from one of the pipes that has been fitted as part of the new mine water management system. The pipe is not currently operational and should have been fitted with a cap to prevent any water discharging.

Unfortunately the pipe was left uncapped following some works, which allowed water to run from it and bypass the temporary water management system. We attended site as soon as it was reported to us and ensured that the problem was resolved.
This should not have happened and we are really sorry for the understandable local concern. We have spoken with our contractors and taken learning from this. We have installed additional measures this week to ensure that water cannot leave the work site and our main contractor has appointed a permanent security guard in the site compound to monitor the water during the hours they are not working.

We are grateful to residents for noticing this and to the fire service for attending to support. In future we would encourage you to report any concerns to us directly on our 24/7 incident hotline 0800 288 4242 so that we can take any action needed as swiftly as possible.

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We have continued drilling this week off the safety platform into the mine feature to provide the permanent conduit to connect to the mine water management system at the Goshen Park/ Drummau Road Junction. A further drilling rig will arrive on site next week to drill larger diameter boreholes as part of the final phase of drilling works.

Traffic management has now moved over to the other side of the Highlands / Drummau Road to enable the installation of the pipework which will be connected into the manhole chamber for the mine water management system. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our onsite construction team will continue with planned works on Saturday and Sunday.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 44 gardens complete and a further 6 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Monday 4th October)

Following the heavy rain on Friday and Saturday we were alerted on Saturday afternoon that water was flowing from one of the pipes that has been fitted as part of the new mine water management system. The pipe is not currently operational and should have been fitted with a cap to prevent any water discharging.

Unfortunately the pipe was left uncapped following some works, which allowed water to run from it and bypass the temporary water management system. We attended site as soon as it was reported to us and ensured that the problem was resolved. No homes were directly affected by the water which mainly remained on our site.

This should not have happened and we are really sorry for the understandable local concern. We have spoken with our contractors, and on site security team will ensure that learning is taken and implemented. We will also be installing additional measures this week to ensure that water cannot leave the work site and provide additional reassurance to local residents.

We are grateful to residents for noticing this and to the fire service for attending to support. In future we would encourage you to report any concerns to us directly on our 24/7 incident hotline 0800 288 4242 so that we can take any action needed as swiftly as possible.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 1st October)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have continued to make good progress with phase 3 of the drilling works at the Goshen Park/Drummau Road junction working from the safety platform stabilising the ground directly around the mine shaft blowout.

We have also now completed the installation the new access chambers on the Highlands and next week we will be installing the pipework to make connections for the mine water management scheme. One lane at the junction of the Highlands will continue to remain closed whilst this work is completed.

This weekend our on site teams will continue with planned drilling works between 8am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Culvert repair

This week Neath Port Talbot Council have advanced works to replace the culvert on Sunnyland Crescent. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 41 gardens complete and a further 6 underway. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.


Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been busy speaking with has been meeting with residents to discuss their schedules, so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 10 September)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we have completed phase one of the drilling and grouting work at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road. This allows us to install the safety platform, which will arrive next week. The safety platform acts as a small bridge to allow us to work safely over the mine shaft blow out area and will be in place whilst we complete phase 2 and phase 3 of the planned works (finishing the work to stabilise the road junction and installing the permanent mine water management system).

The platform will be delivered on a large vehicle and we have worked with our contractors to ensure that this arrives at a time which should minimise disruption to local residents. Residents in the Penshannel area close to the site compound may experience short delays as the platform is unloaded and Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer, will speak with those residents as soon as timings are confirmed.

We have also made good progress installing the underground pipework for the mine water management scheme along the Highlands. This will continue until the end of September and one lane of the Highlands remains closed to enable this work to take place.

There are no planned works this weekend. Our security team will be on site as usual if you have any concerns or need help.

Culvert repair

Neath Port Talbot Council are progressing well with the culvert on Sunnyland Crescent and this is expected to be completed next week. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 35 gardens complete and a further 14 underway. Our site teams have been meeting with residents during the week to finalise their garden reinstatement schedules. We have now spoken with, or written to those residents who have not yet agreed their schedule. If you have any questions regarding your garden schedule and would like us to be able to programme in this work during September or October please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk. If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie has been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams.
You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 3 September)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We are now nearing the completion of the phase one drilling and grouting work at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road with 93% of the boreholes drilled and grouted. This work will be completed over the next few days in readiness for phase 2 works and the installation of the large safety platform to allow us to work in the road junction over the shaft and the blow-out. Our planned drilling works will continue this weekend with our teams working between 8am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Further excavation for the installation of pipework for the new mine water management scheme will start on Monday (6th September). It is expected that one lane of the junction at Drummau Road and Highlands will be need to be temporarily closed with traffic management in place whilst this work is completed. We will contact those residents next week that are affected by these short term works.

Western Power have now completed the electricity supply switch over to the temporary substation outside 2 Goshen Park and have, today 3rd September, removed the existing electricity substation. If you have any questions or concerns about this please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website https://www.westernpower.co.uk/

Garden reinstatement work

Good progress is continuing with work completed at 32 homes and work underway at 6 homes.

This week we have been speaking with those residents who haven’t yet agreed their schedule to try to reach agreement to allow the work to be undertaken before the winter. If you haven’t yet been contacted by our customer service team and would like to discuss your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk 

We also know that some residents who are eligible for support with garden and outdoor area reinstatement haven’t yet made contact and we would encourage you to do so. This will allow the work to be agreed and scheduled before the winter.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Please note that our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison

Melanie Beynon, has continued this week to speak to residents to progress their garden reinstatement schedules so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time  with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Next week Melanie will be working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 27 August)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We have continued to make good progress on the drilling and grouting at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road with more than 80% of phase 1 boreholes completed.
We also started preparation works for the installation of pipeworks for the new mine water management scheme at Drummau Road.

There are no planned works this bank holiday weekend. Borehole drilling and excavation works will start again on Tuesday.

Next Thursday (2nd September) Western Power will be on site to switch the electricity supply to the temporary substation outside 2 Goshen Park. They will then use specialist lifting equipment to remove the existing electricity substation (outside 1 Goshen Park) on Friday (3rd September). Once their work is complete we will be able to move to phase 2 works, including placing the large safety platform to allow work to happen in the road junction around the shaft and the blow-out.

You should have received notification from Western Power that this work will be taking place. If you have any questions or concerns about this please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website https://www.westernpower.co.uk/

Culvert repair work

This week Neath Port Talbot Council started works to replace the culvert at Sunnyland Crescent. They expect that the road will remain closed until mid-September while this work is completed. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 686868.

Garden reinstatement work
Good progress is continuing with work completed at 31 homes and work underway at 7 homes.
We will be following up with residents who haven’t yet agreed their schedule next week to try to reach agreement and allow the work to be undertaken before the winter.

We know that some residents have asked for their work to be delayed until they are closer to being back in their homes and will be discussing with you whether some of the work can be programmed for September or October (mindful that wet weather may otherwise mean that work may have to be delayed until the spring.)

If you have any questions about your schedule or would like to discuss the timetable for your work please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

We also know that some residents who are eligible for support with garden and outdoor area reinstatement haven’t yet made contact and we would encourage you to do so. This will allow the work to be agreed and scheduled before the winter.

If you would like support with clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement please contact our Residents’ Helpline. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here. Please note that our Skewen support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Community Liaison
This week, Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has mainly been meeting with residents to progress garden reinstatement schedules so that we can start works as soon as possible.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council (Thursday 26 August)

Flash flood extreme weather event
We acknowledge that the flash flood on Dynevor Road earlier this month has caused further stress and anxiety amongst residents living in the Skewen area.

We want to reassure residents that we are continuing to carry out extensive investigations into the drainage infrastructure in the area and the cause of the flash flood. We are also working closely with partner agencies to share information and discuss possible solutions.

Any assessments made following our investigations will be made available to residents.

We would like to remind residents who may need additional support during this difficult time, that the council’s Local Area Coordinator Skewen, Emma Jones (07583780991 or e.jones7@npt.gov.uk), is still available to help people with their wellbeing.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 20 August)

Works at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

This week we made good progress with the drilling and grouting at the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road and have now completed over 65% of the Phase One boreholes. Our planned drilling works will continue this weekend with our teams working between 8am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. These drilling and grouting works will continue next week, when we will also be starting excavation works at Drummau Road. These works are in preparation for the installation of pipeworks for the new mine water management scheme.

This week we also installed the additional acoustic panels in Penshannel as part of our ongoing measures to help reduce daytime noise from the drilling works for the community.

Culvert repair work at Sunnyland Crescent Neath Port Talbot Council have now undertaken their investigation works at Sunnyland Crescent to assess the best options for culvert repair works. The council are the lead on this issue and if you have any questions please contact them directly for assistance on 01639 686868.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work is continuing to progress well with 29 gardens complete, 6 underway and a further 4 being scheduled. Our site teams have been meeting with residents during the week to finalise their garden reinstatement schedules. If you haven’t agreed your garden schedule yet or if you have any questions regarding the items on your schedule, please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

If you would like to register for clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement and have not yet done so, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison

Our Community Liaison Officer, Melanie Beynon, will be back on site next week to assist with your queries and provide your feedback to our operational teams.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

You can also call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm on 0800 2884 268 or speak to any of our other staff on site when Melanie is not available.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

​Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 13 August)

Work at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction

We have made good progress this week with both rigs drilling and grouting at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction, completing 50% of the boreholes needed for the first phase. There will not be any drilling work this weekend. The work will continue on Monday.

We have been listening to concerns from some of you about daytime noise from the drilling works and have arranged for additional acoustic panels to be installed early next week which will further absorb noise from the work.

You may have seen us rearranging the access path outside Highlands Close this week. This is to allow excavation works on Drummau Road ready for the connection pipework and manhole access for the new permanent mine water management scheme.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement work continues to progress well with 28 gardens complete, 7 underway and a further 4 being scheduled. Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been meeting with residents to discuss their schedules so that we can start works as soon as possible. If you haven’t agreed your garden schedule yet or if you have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk


The majority of the outdoor clean-up work we offered is complete but if you would like support with this or with cleaning private drains then do let us know. We can’t undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission so do call our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or email us at customerservice@coal.gov.uk if you would like to discuss this.


If you haven’t registered for clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison

Next week Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer will be on annual leave, but she will return to work week commencing Monday 23 August. If you need any assistance or have a query whilst she is away, please speak to any of our other staff on site. They will be able to ensure it is passed on to the appropriate person so your query is dealt with as efficiently as possible. You can also call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 6 August)

Heavy rain on Monday

We were sorry to see the surface water flooding that impacted parts of Skewen earlier this week and our thoughts are with anyone affected. We know from our colleagues at Neath Port Talbot Council that the surface water flooding at Dynevor Road was caused by heavy rain overwhelming the road drains. It was not mine water related and we are confident that it was not linked to the sad event in January.

Whilst we continue our work to install the new permanent mine water management scheme the temporary mine water management system continues to operate and we can reassure you that this worked effectively on Monday, with plenty of capacity.

Neath Port Talbot Council are the lead agency for surface water and highways drainage. We continue to work closely with them as a partner agency to provide support if needed.

Remediation work on site

You may have seen our second drilling rig arriving on site earlier this week. Both rigs are making good progress with drilling and grouting at the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction and this will be continuing over the next few weeks. To help us complete the works as soon as possible this drilling and grouting will continue over the weekend with the teams working between 8am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. We will continue to do all that we can to minimise any noise or disruption for the community while these works take place.

Garden reinstatement work

Garden reinstatement continues to progress well with 23 gardens complete, 26 underway and a further 12 being scheduled. Melanie, our Community Liaison Officer, has been meeting with residents to discuss their schedules, so that we can start works as soon as possible.

Once you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement. If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk The majority of the outdoor clean-up work we offered is complete but if you would like support with this or with cleaning private drains then do let us know. We can’t undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission so do call our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or email us at customerservice@coal.gov.uk if you would like to discuss this. If you haven’t registered for clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison

This week Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, has again been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams and our residents helpline colleagues.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council – Friday 6 August

Welcome to the latest update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council. To view all the latest updates from both the Council and the Coal Authority, visit: www.npt.gov.uk/skewen

Dynevor Road flooding last Monday (2nd August)

We continue to have a large workforce presence on site and we are working with partner organisations to investigate potential causes of the flood which, following the extreme rainfall event on Monday, caused internal flooding to three properties on Dynevor Road. We will update residents on the outcome of those discussions as soon as we can.

Financial and wellbeing support

We would like to remind residents of the support available from NPT Council and partner organisations:

• Council Tax – If you are having difficulty paying your council tax, please contact our Council Tax Team on (01639) 686 188 or email council.tax@npt.gov.uk . The team may be able to agree a different schedule of payments which will be easier for you to keep to.

• Citizens Advice Swansea, Neath Port Talbot – Citizens Advice has a team of advisers who can provide you with the information you need to make the right choices, including help to deal with debt problems and how to get your finances back into shape.

You can contact Citizens Advice on their free phone line on 0808 278 7926 or via email at help@citizensadvicesnpt.org.uk . Information is also available on their website.

• Local Area Coordinator – Local Area Coordinators are employed by Neath Port Talbot Council to help people who are at risk of reaching a crisis in their life or to help people to recover if a crisis has already happened. They work with people and their families to:

• improve their health and wellbeing
• stay safe, well and happy
• develop confidence and independence
• make links within the local community
• reduce social isolation
• access opportunities for further support, friendship and social interaction

The Local Area Coordinator for your area is Emma Jones and can be contacted on 07583780991 or by email e.jones7@npt.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 30 July)

Remediation work on site

This week you may have seen us making some minor changes to the way the pipes of the above ground temporary water management system are laid. This allows us to ensure that the system is providing the maximum capacity and management of the mine water while the permanent works take place while also creating space to allow work on the new underground water management system and ground stabilisation.

You may also have seen the drilling rig working on site preparing for grouting (stabilisation) to begin within the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction and under the garage and drive of 1 Goshen Park. As we discussed at the meeting this work will provide the necessary foundations for the new mine water management system and ensure that the road is safe for the community and road users in the long term.

Next week you will see an additional drill rig arriving on site and over the next few days and weeks you will see increased activity around the junction with contractors working longer hours and weekends. We will continue to do all we can to minimise noise or disruption from the works while we progress the construction as quickly as possible to ensure that we finish on or before our new delivery date of the end of December 2021.

New Tea Shack location

When Lisa Pinney was on site last week a resident mentioned that the Tea Shack would need to move from its current location on a private driveway to enable recovery work to happen. We recognise how important the Tea Shack has been to the community through this time and worked with Councillor Harvey and Neath Port Talbot Council to agree for it to move to a new location on council land at the grass triangle on the Highlands. Once the council kindly agreed the location we prepared the land and moved the Tea Shack to its new home on Tuesday which we hope will be a convenient location for everyone.

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We are making continued progress on gardens across all impacted streets with 18 now complete, 14 underway and a further 11 that are now being scheduled. Once you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement. If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk


We know that some residents are experiencing wider problems with drainage and are supporting residents, Neath Port Talbot Council and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to help resolve these matters. We are continuing to clean private drains as part of the clean-up aspect of our goodwill Skewen policy wherever that is possible and helpful.


We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission so if you would like this help and have not already given us your permission then please call our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or email us at customerservice@coal.gov.uk.


If you haven’t registered for clean-up, drain cleaning or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.


Residents’ Meeting
Many of you attended our latest residents’ meeting on Wednesday. Thank you so much for taking the time to hear about our ground investigations and next steps with the construction of the new permanent water management scheme and the stabilisation of the ground within the Goshen Park / Drummau Road junction and under the garage and driveway of 1 Goshen Park. We are also grateful to Councillor Harvey for chairing the call and to colleagues from Neath Port Talbot Council for attending and answering questions on topics which are led by them.

If you attended the call and would like to view the recording then contact the Residents’ helpline on 0800 2884 268.

Community Liaison
This week Melanie has been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Friday 23 July)

Remediation work on site

This week, following detailed ground investigation and design work, we have begun construction of the new mine water management scheme for Skewen and the remediation of the ground around the Goshen Park junction. We sent out more information in a briefing on Tuesday which you can find in the last update below.

As shared on Tuesday the additional work we need to undertake at the site means that the permanent scheme at the junction of Goshen Park will not be completed in August and is now expected to be completed by the end of the year. We are really sorry for the delay but we need to put public safety first and ensure that the new scheme will deliver for Skewen in the long term. We will progress the works as quickly as we can and this will include some weekend working. We will keep you updated and continue to try to keep noise and disruption to a minimum. We will continue to work with Neath Port Talbot Council to enable the road to be re-opened as soon as it is safe to do so.

The additional work we have to take is to stabilise the ground around the blow-out, mine shaft and surrounding area in the road junction of Goshen Park to provide the necessary foundations for the new mine water management system and ensure that the road is safe for vehicles and other users in the long term. As we have discussed previously there is no new or additional risk to houses in the area from ground stability and our extensive investigations have confirmed that the damage to be stabilised is confined to parts of the road junction itself.

Residents’ meeting next week

We will be sharing information on our investigations, the remediation and stabilisation works and the mine water management scheme build at the residents meeting via Zoom on Wednesday 28 July 2021 between 6-7pm. Please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk to register for the residents meeting.

Home Information Packs

We have now issued the home information packs to residents and these will arrive in the next few days. If you have not received your pack by next week then please contact the residents’ helpline. We can also help in discussions with insurers and mortgage providers if you provide us with your policy details and give them written permission for us to speak with them direct. Details are in the packs or you can contact the residents’ helpline to request this support anytime

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week our crews are completing the final garden reinstatement on a number of properties at Goshen Park and are continuing reinstating gardens at Dynevor Road, Jubilee Crescent and Sunnyland Crescent. Once you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement. If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk If you haven’t registered for clean-up, garden reinstatement or drain clearance and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison

Lisa Pinney, our Chief Executive, was on site speaking with residents on Monday and Tuesday and attended part of the Ministerial visit with Julie James, Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change on Monday, following a private session for residents and local politicians with the Minister. Lisa is grateful for the feedback provided by those she met and will continue to visit the site to observe the works and meet residents between now and the end of the year.

On Monday Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, returns from annual leave and will be around the area as usual speaking with residents. You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 9am-5pm on 0800 2884268. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Tuesday 20 July)

Construction begins on Skewen Mine Water Management Scheme and Goshen Park junction remediation

Following detailed ground investigation and design work, we have now begun construction of the new mine water management scheme for Skewen and the remediation of the ground around the Goshen Park junction.

The project will provide a new, permanent route for water from nearby mine workings and ensure any excess mine water from prolonged rainfall is collected by the scheme, keeping properties safe. It will comprise of new boreholes and a concrete capture structure to collect and route the mine water into a new culvert. The system, including real time telemetry monitoring, was designed in consultation with residents, Neath Port Talbot Council and Natural Resources Wales.

Work at the site has been extremely complicated and we have had to undertake extensive investigations to ensure that the solutions we put in place will ensure public safety for the community in the long term. These investigations have shown that more extensive engineering works are needed to stabilise the ground around the blowout and the Goshen Park junction to ensure that it is safe both for future road users and also to provide the necessary foundations for the new pipe work and mine water capture structure. This is complicated by unusual geology around the junction and the impacts of the blow-out itself. As you know, we have also had delays through the extensive relocation of gas, electricity, water and telephone utilities at the site.

This additional work means that the permanent scheme at the junction of Goshen Park will not be completed in August and is now expected to be completed by the end of the year. We know that this is not the news you wanted to hear and are really sorry for the delay. You will understand that the safety of the community must come first. We are sorry for the ongoing disruption to residents caused by the road closure and are working hard to enable Neath Port Talbot Council to reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so.

We also recognise that you may have concerns about further prolonged or extreme weather occurring before the permanent water management scheme is in place. We can reassure you that you continue to be protected by the temporary water management scheme that was put in place following the flooding incident in January. This temporary water management system provides significant capacity for heavy rainfall events and we have an additional high capacity pump on stand-by as an additional safeguard. The mine water levels are being monitored in real time, our teams are on site each day and we will ensure staff and / or contractors are on site seven days a week where heavy rain is forecast to ensure the situation is monitored in person as well as remotely through monitoring.

Residents’ meeting next week

We will be sharing information on our investigations, the remediation and stabilisation works and the mine water management scheme build at a further residents meeting via Zoom on Wednesday 28 July at 6pm. Details of how to register for the event will be provided in our Thursday residents’ briefing or you can contact the dedicated residents helpline to express your interest.

Home Information Packs

The Home Information Packs will be sent out this week to support your discussions with insurers and mortgage providers both immediately and in the long term. If you have not received your pack by next week then please contact the residents’ helpline. You can also request our help in discussions with insurers and mortgage providers and give them your permission for us to speak with them direct. Details are in the packs or you can contact the residents’ helpline to request this support anytime.

Contact us

If you have any questions please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm or email us customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Thursday 15 July)

Recent surface water concerns

We know that some residents have expressed concerns about surface water flooding following recent rainfall. We can confirm that the rainfall didn’t cause any problems for mine water levels in the area or for the temporary mine water management system that takes the water from the blow out location at 1 Goshen Park. If you have concerns about surface water flooding or drainage in the area then please contact Neath Port Talbot Council (01639 686868) or Welsh Water (0800 0520145) who are the lead authorities.

Reinstatement works for those impacted by flooding

Our garden reinstatement crews continue to make good progress at Jubilee Crescent, Goshen Park and Dynevor Road.

Our specialist drainage contractors have been performing the final cleansing programme for household drains which should be complete next week. If you would like this support and haven’t already registered for it then please get in touch and let us know. Drain cleaning is provided as part of our Skewen support policy. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

You can get in touch with us with any questions or to register for support under our Skewen policy by calling our Residents’ Helpline or emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022.

Remediation work on site

This week we have continued drilling works and been installing pipe work. We will not be drilling this weekend (Saturday 17 July to Sunday 18 July).

Community Liaison Officer

Our Community Liaison Officer Melanie Beynon will be on annual leave next week and will return to work on the week commencing Monday 26 July.

We will still have staff present that you can speak to on site or you can continue to call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday between 9-5pm.

Melanie’s usual working arrangements will continue to be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority (Thursday 8 July)

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week our crews have been preparing the foundations for some of the garden walls that were damaged and continued reinstating gardens at Goshen Park, Dynevor Road and Jubilee crescent.

Once you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement. If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

If you haven’t registered for clean-up, garden reinstatement or drain clearance and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

This week we are continuing with the drilling works and have begun inserting pipe work. To progress these works we need to drill this coming weekend (10 & 11 July), but operations will be limited to between 8am and 5pm.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon has been out and about on site this week speaking with residents about general queries.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Thursday 1 July 2021

Remediation work on site

Enabling works for the mine water treatment scheme are continuing. This week we finished the final phase of investigative drilling for the remediation of the blow out, mine shaft and surrounding area of the Goshen Park junction / Drummau road and we have begun preparatory drilling to enable the final stabilisation works which will begin shortly.

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week our crews have continued reinstating gardens at Goshen Park, Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent.

Once you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement. If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

If you haven’t registered for clean-up, garden reinstatement or drain clearance and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon has been out and about on site speaking with residents about their garden schedules and other queries.  

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from NPT Council - Thursday 1 July

Looking after your mental health and wellbeing

This page contains a range of organisations and support services that can help you with your mental health and wellbeing:

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Thursday 24th June 2021

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding 

This week our teams have been reinstating gardens on Dynevor Road, Jubilee Crescent and Goshen Park. When you have agreed your schedule, our site team will be in touch to talk through the programme for your garden reinstatement.

If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk .

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2,000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

Our specialist drainage contractors have been at Sunnyland and Goshen Park this week to complete a final cleanse of the drains. They will be working around the area over the next two weeks checking and rodding the drains to complete the final cleansing programme. Drain clearance is undertaken as part of our cleaning and reinstatement policy. We cannot undertake drain cleansing without your specific permission.

If you haven’t registered for clean up, garden reinstatement or drain clearance and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

The replacement drilling rig arrived on site this week to continue with the ground investigations. To finalise these next week we need to drill this coming weekend (26 & 27 June) when operations will be limited to between 8am and 5pm.

Next week drilling is scheduled to take place between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, will be onsite to discuss any concerns you have or alternatively please call our residents line.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon has been updating residents regarding the drilling on site and speaking with them about garden reinstatement this week.

Don’t forget that you can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

  • Read previous updates, information and FAQs on Neath Port Talbot Councils website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
  • If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website
  • If you have any queries regarding BT Services please contact BT Customer Services on 0800 800150.
  • Access the Coal Authority interactive map viewer
  • To support discussions with insurance and mortgage companies, please contact our Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268.
  • View the Coal Authority’s Policy on Skewen Flooding Response Support

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Friday 18 June

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week we have continued garden reinstatement work on Sunnyland Crescent, the Highlands and Highlands close. Crews start work next week at gardens in Dynevor road, Jubilee Crescent and Goshen Park.

If you haven’t yet agreed your garden schedule or have any questions regarding the items on your schedule please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk .

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2,000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

If you haven’t registered for clean up or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

Enabling works are progressing on site. Western Power have built the new temporary electrical substation at 2 Goshen Park and will switch across to it shortly which will allow our works to progress without risk of disruption to the supply. We have removed the garage outside 1 Goshen Park.

The drilling rig arrived at site on Wednesday and is carrying out ground investigation to allow us to do final testing of our remediation approach before the main works commence.

We are aware some residents experienced noise from a generator over the weekend; this was due to a generator fault and has now been resolved. In the event of a problem occurring over a weekend, please be aware that our security team remain on-site and are available for residents to contact in the event of a problem.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon has been updating residents regarding the drilling on site and speaking with residents about garden reinstatement this week.

Don’t forget that you can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

  • Read previous updates, information and FAQs on Neath Port Talbot Councils website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
  • If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website
  • If you have any queries regarding BT Services please contact BT Customer Services on 0800 800150.
  • Access the Coal Authority interactive map viewer
  • To support discussions with insurance and mortgage companies, please contact our Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268.
  • View the Coal Authority’s Policy on Skewen Flooding Response Support

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

 

Additional Residents Briefing - Monday 14th June 2021

In the Residents’ Briefing last Friday, we advised a specialist drilling rig would be arriving on site today. Due to the combination of a supplier delay and a current UK shortage of drilling equipment we have been advised the equipment will not arrive until Wednesday. We expect the rig to be on site for up to 2 weeks from this date and are reviewing if this supplier delay means equipment will need to be used on Saturday. We will include a further update regarding this in the later briefing this week. Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, will be onsite to discuss any concerns you have or please call our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884 268.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Update for Skewen Residents – 11 June 2021

Garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We have reinstated several gardens at Sunnyland Crescent and The Highlands. Next week we’ll be continuing garden reinstatement work at Sunnyland Crescent, Jubilee crescent and Dynevor Road where reinstatement schedules have been agreed and start dates confirmed with residents.

We know that some of you have experienced delays between agreeing your schedule and a start date being agreed. Our onsite teams have visited a number of residents this week to make progress and agree dates for the works to take place. We have now put in place a commitment to follow up within 5 working days of a schedule being agreed. You can also contact us directly to discuss any aspect of your garden reinstatement using our resident’s helpline or by emailing customerservices@coal.gov.uk.

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2,000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

If you haven’t registered for clean up or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you, please let the Residents’ Helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

Enabling works are continuing on site so that we are ready to start the main works as soon as possible. Western Power have been onsite moving the electrical substation from outside 1 Goshen Park to its temporary new location at 2 Goshen Park and we expect this to complete next week. We’ve also removed the boundary wall at 1 Goshen Park.

On Monday a specialist drilling rig will arrive on site to undertake ground investigation to allow us to do final testing of our remediation approach before the main works commence. We expect the rig to be on site for up to 2 weeks and drilling will take place between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Drilling of this nature can be noisy in the immediate area. We have mitigated this as far as we can, for example using acoustic panels to deflect the noise but apologise in advance for any disruption that this causes for you. Melanie Beynon, our Community Liaison Officer, will be onsite to discuss any concerns you have or please call our residents line.

Community Liaison Officer & Security Guards

Melanie Beynon has mostly been on site speaking with residents about garden reinstatement this week.

Don’t forget that you can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

  • Read previous updates, information and FAQs on Neath Port Talbot Councils website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
  • If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website
  • If you have any queries regarding BT Services please contact BT Customer Services on 0800 800150.
  • Access the Coal Authority interactive map viewer
  • To support discussions with insurance and mortgage companies, please contact our Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268.
  • View the Coal Authority’s Policy on Skewen Flooding Response Support.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen Residents’ Support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

 

Update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council - Friday 4 June

​Reminder - Mental health and wellbeing support

A list of support and resources that can help you with your mental health and wellbeing can be found on our website.

Local Area Coordinator

Have you met your Local Area Coordinator yet? Local Area Coordinators are employed by the council to help people who are at risk of reaching a crisis in their life or to help people to recover if a crisis has already happened. They work with people and their families to:

• improve their health and wellbeing
• stay safe, well and happy
• develop confidence and independence
• make links within the local community
• reduce social isolation
• access opportunities for further support, friendship and social interaction

The Local Area Coordinator for your area is Emma Jones and can be contacted on 07583780991 or by email e.jones7@npt.gov.uk

Skewen Floods webpage

To keep up with the latest updates from Neath Port Talbot Council and the Coal Authority, visit our dedicated webpage.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Thursday 3 June 2021

Residents voting on scheme designs now complete

Thank you to everyone who voted on the above ground Water Management Scheme designs. Your choices will be adopted as part of the final design and submitted for planning permission. The results are as follows:

Category Option with the most votes
Wall/fence options 1.8 metre-high brick wall
Garage options Brick garage with pitched roof
Surface options Concrete finish (similar to existing driveway)


Details of the Water Management Scheme and design options can be viewed online here or by arranging an appointment at 37 Goshen Park by contacting the Residents’ Helpline or speaking to Melanie Beynon on site.

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week we have continued to make good progress with the clean-up work on the rear gardens of Dynevor Road and the land adjacent to the railway.

For those residents who have agreed their schedule with us, garden reinstatement works for properties on Jubilee Crescent and Sunnyland Crescent have started and will continue next week.

If you have agreed and returned your garden schedule and not yet heard back, our on-site team will be in touch next week to discuss your specific works and agree a start date. If you would like to discuss your garden reinstatement, then please contact the Residents’ Helpline or email customerservices@coal.gov.uk.

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2,000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

If you haven’t registered for clean up or garden reinstatement and would like this support, please contact our Residents’ Helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you, please let the Residents’ Helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here

Remediation work on site

Enabling works have continued on site this week to allow Western Power to relocate the electrical substation outside 1 Goshen Park. Western Power will begin their works next week. No interruption to your electricity supply is expected, but if you do experience problems, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website.

Further site investigation works will also be taking place near to 1 Penshannel next week, but this won’t affect existing traffic arrangements.

Community Liaison Officer & Security Guards

Melanie will be back from leave on Monday 7 June. Other staff members are available on site this week and you can call our Residents’ Helpline with any questions you may have, Monday to Friday, between 9am-5pm.

Our security guards also remain on site to help manage road access and keep the area secure during the works.
All our site staff are ensuring activities are undertaken effectively and with the minimum of impact to residents. It is important that they are able to work in a safe and respectful environment. If you do have any frustrations or concerns, please contact the Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority – Thursday 27 May 2021

Residents voting for the scheme designs

The scheme designs and above ground options that we shared at the Residents’ meeting on 12th May 2021 are still on display at 37 Goshen Park . Voting will remain open until midnight this Friday 28 May. To ensure your views are taken into consideration you need to contact the residents’ helpline to vote via a secure link or arrange with Melanie Beynon to vote manually.

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We’re making progress with garden reinstatement at Sunnyland Crescent for those residents who have agreed their schedule with us. If you have agreed and returned your garden schedule in the last few days then our on-site teams will be in touch next week to discuss your specific works and agree a start date.

Melanie Beynon has been on site this week discussing garden schedules and providing further information where needed. If you would like to discuss your garden reinstatement then please contact the residents’ helpline or email customerservices@coal.gov.uk

We know that some residents are waiting for responses from Tai Tarian properties on the reinstatement of their gardens. Our customer teams are working with them to resolve this as quickly as possible and will update affected residents asap.


The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

If you haven’t registered for clean up or garden reinstatement and would like this support please contact our residents’ helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. All of this work is done on a goodwill basis and the full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

Enabling works have begun on site this week and we’ve been particularly working with Western Power to prepare to relocate the electrical substation adjacent to the collapse outside 1 Goshen Park. Western Power will install their equipment in the new location when this work is complete. Further enabling works will start on Monday.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie is on annual leave week beginning Monday 31 May. She will be back on site from Monday 7 June. Other staff will be available on site or you can call our residents’ helpline with any questions Monday to Friday, 9-5pm

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority – Thursday 20 May 2021

Residents voting for the scheme designs

At the residents meeting last week we shared the plans and design choices for the above ground mine water management system. The designs are available on line or by making an appointment to see them at 37 Goshen Park.

Voting closes at midnight on Friday 28th May 2021 and is either by a secure link (please contact the residents’ helpline for details) or manual forms available from Mel Beynon.
If you have any queries regarding voting, the use of the form or wish to book an appointment to see the plans at 37 Goshen Park, please contact our Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We have started the like for like garden reinstatement work for those residents that have agreed their schedule and continue to work with those residents where more information is needed.

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).
Some residents have asked if the reinstatement support is a form of compensation. We can confirm that this is not the case as outlined in the policy. We need your agreement to start any garden remediation. If you would like to discuss your garden reinstatement schedule please contact the residents’ helpline or email customerservices@coal.gov.uk

If you haven’t registered for clean up or like-for-like garden reinstatement and would like this support please contact our residents’ helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Community Liaison Officer

This week Melanie has been meeting residents at 37 Goshen Park to talk through the plans and designs that are on display for the mine water management system.

Melanie will be around the area next week to talk to those residents who haven’t yet returned their garden schedules. If you would like to book an appointment to discuss your schedule, please contact the residents’ helpline.

Melanie normally works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. Outside of that you can call the residents helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Monday 17 May

Residents' meeting for the scheme designs

This week we held our Zoom Residents’ Meeting to show the details of the Mine Water Management System that we will be installing and give an overview of the design choices for the above ground installation at No. 1 Goshen Park.

We have worked with Neath Part Talbot Council on the below ground system which will feed water into existing culverts (drains). The system has been sized to take the flows from the catchment including excessive rainfall events like storm Christoph. The system does not introduce any new water into the area so downstream watercourses will not be affected.

The system has also been designed to be as unobtrusive as possible and sympathetic to the area around it. It will work using a gravity fed system so there will be no noise from pumps. You can view the details and options via the PDF below:

Accessible Mine Water Management System And Options

  • Accessible Mine Water Management System And Options (PDF 3.56 MB)

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If you would like to vote for your preferred options then please contact the residents’ helpline who will be able to provide you with a link.

If you have any queries regarding voting, the use of the form or wish to book an appointment to see the plans at 37 Goshen Park, please contact our Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884 268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

The designs are also on display at 37 Goshen Park where they can be viewed by socially distanced appointment. This week Mel will be available between 5pm & 7pm on Monday evening (17th May) for those who cannot make a daytime appointment.

Voting will close at midnight on Friday 28th May 2021 and we will share the results via our Residents’ Briefing and use the input to inform our planning application.

Any residents who registered to attend the residents’ meeting can request secure access to watch the full recording by contacting our Skewen resident’s helpline on 0800 2884268 or emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk

A number of residents have asked when they will be receiving the pack to help with mortgages and insurance. These will be issued when the scheme has been approved by planning as insurance and mortgage companies will want to see the specific details of the scheme and investment. In the meantime we can support you with discussions with mortgage lenders or insurers. Please contact our Residents’ Helpline to take this forwards.

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We are booking dates for like-for-like garden reinstatement for those residents who have agreed their schedules. We continue to work with residents where more information is needed and are making further appointments with Lee Cammack on 17 May so do contact the residents helpline if you would like to discuss your schedule further.

We need your agreement to start any garden remediation. If you haven’t yet returned your garden schedule or have any queries, please contact the residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

The like-for-like reinstatement support of up to £2000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

If you haven’t registered for clean up or like-for-like garden reinstatement and would like this support please contact our residents’ helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Remediation work on site

Preparatory work is progressing on site and we continue to work with partners. We’ve completed the latest round of drilling and removed the drilling equipment from the site. This has allowed us to open the new pedestrian access to Highlands.

Other Points Raised

We are aware some residents have experienced issues with sewage over the last week and can confirm that this is not related to mine water. It is being dealt with by Welsh Water and they can be contacted at 0800 052 0145.

Community Liaison Officer

As outlined above Mel is changing her working pattern over the next few days to be available for residents who wish to review the Mine Water Management System Designs.

Melanie normally works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. Outside of that you can call the residents helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.  

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council - Monday 10 May

From Tuesday 11 May, temporary traffic lights will be placed along Drummau Road to help safely manage the flow of traffic at the narrowest point. The traffic lights will be manned during the busiest times of the day to ensure minimal disruption.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority – Friday 7 May

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

We completed phase one cleaning last week. Since then our clean-up crews have been doing a second jet wash cleanse of any external garden areas that need it. If you’d like a second jet wash of your garden or further drain clearance then please let our team know on site or contact the resident’s helpline.

Some residents in Goshen Park have raised concerns about their surface water soakaways as heavy rain is forecast this weekend. Many of the soakaways have already been replaced and we have made further checks this week. We do not anticipate any problems but will have contractors on site over the weekend to monitor the area and take action if needed.

We’ve issued the majority of the garden reinstatement schedules or let residents know if more information is needed. Lee Cammack from our team has been on site answering queries this week and any updates to reflect these discussions will be provided in the next few days.

If you haven’t registered for clean up or garden reinstatement and would like this support please contact our residents’ helpline. Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if we / our contractors are not purchasing the materials or furniture directly can also be provided by our residents’ helpline

Remediation work on site and scheme designs

You’ll have seen that further ground investigation has been taking place this week around the Goshen Park junction. This means that, despite the new pedestrian access to the Highlands being ready, we haven’t been able to open it as the team are drilling too close to it. As soon as this work is complete we will open the path. In the meantime the alternative temporary path remains in place to allow access.

We will be sharing designs and plans for the new water management system at the residents meeting on Zoom on 12 May 2021 between 6-7pm. Please contact our residents’ helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk to register for the residents meeting.

Plans will be available to view with a team member at 37 Goshen Park from Thursday 13 May so please make an appointment through the residents’ helpline if you would like to view them.

Community Liaison Officer

This week Melanie has been on site co-ordinating second phase clean-ups for residents.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie at 37 Goshen Park, on site or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our residents’ helpline 0800 2884268 or you can email Melanie direct at MelanieBeynon@coal.gov.uk.

Melanie normally works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. Outside of that you can call the residents helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from Neath Port Talbot Council (Friday 30 April): Proposed Temporary Diversion Route

This is an update on the work the council has undertaken to assess the suitability of a temporary alternative access between Darran Park and Highland Gardens, which has been requested by some residents whilst remediation work is under way at the junction between Goshen Park and Drummau Road.

The temporary road was suggested as a suitable alternative to the current diversion due to the difficulties experienced by users of the diversion in terms of its length and its narrow width at certain sections. Given the potential impacts of such a scheme and the mixed feelings from the affected community, a detailed appraisal process was undertaken to assess its suitability.

Having assessed a number of factors including road safety issues, environmental impacts, and, more importantly the likely timescale to deliver the road, we conclude that the proposed road is not feasible.

There are a number of reasons for this:

  • The land in question is not in council ownership and while a decision from the landowner is outstanding, we are unable to predict a timescale to proceed.
  • The estimated time to deliver the road and the telematics for the equestrian crossing point (including design and tendering requirements), is between 8 to 10 weeks from decision to proceed. This may well be longer and could coincide with the reopening of Drummau Road
  • A number of trees would need to be felled to construct the road; all of which are protected by an Area Tree Preservation Order.
  • The crossing between the proposed access road and bridleway will need to have Pegasus Equestrian Traffic Control lights and an accessible barrier and/or gates installed to ensure both horse riders and people on foot can cross the road safely.

You can read the assessment report below. 

Appraisal Proposed Temporary Diversion Route

  • Proposed Temporary Diversion Route (PDF 6.52 MB)

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Improving safety along Drummau Road

Despite the decision not to proceed with the alternative road, the council and Coal Authority recognise that residents are experiencing difficulties when using Drummau Road. Therefore, the council and the Coal Authority are currently exploring the potential to install traffic measures at narrow points along the length of Drummau Road. These measures should ensure that vehicles travelling from opposite directions do not block the highway. Further updates on this issue will be provided shortly.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Thursday 29 April 2021

Remediation work on site and scheme designs

We have now begun work on the new pedestrian access to the Highlands, which will open on Tuesday 4th May. We are ensuring that the existing temporary path, to the side of our fence, will remain in place until this date to allow access for all pedestrians.

We have also continued work on site using drilling machinery to provide additional information to help finalise our designs for the remediation of the shaft. We shared last week that we will show plans for the remediation work and new water management system at a residents meeting on Zoom on 12 May 2021 between 6-7pm. For more information and to register for the residents meeting please call our resident’s helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

This week we have sent draft schedules for the like for like garden reinstatement works (including values) to residents for review. We understand from Councillor Mike Harvey that some residents have queries regarding the schedules, if this is the case please contact the residents’ helpline.
Once you are happy with the schedule, please confirm your agreement via email to customerservice@coal.gov.uk. Our Residents’ Helpline will then contact you within 3 working days by your preferred method to arrange convenient dates to carry out any works.

We will complete our first phase clean-up by the end of Friday 30th April following which our teams will begin focussing on garden reinstatement works. Clean up works at the Tai Tarian Flats and 74/75 Dynevor Road are being scheduled separately due to access issues. If you are aware of any other external areas that require a second clean-up or drain clearance please contact the resident’s helpline or speak to Melanie when she is in your area.
Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you.

The full details of our support policy can be seen here. If you haven’t yet registered for support in reinstating your garden and would like to take up the offer then please complete our online form, call our residents’ helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. The reinstatement support (on a like for like basis) of up to £2000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if we / our contractors are not purchasing the materials or furniture directly can also be provided by our residents’ helpline.

Community Liaison Officer

This week Melanie Beynon has been speaking with residents about their garden schedules and has been able to take copies of receipts where these have been requested.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie at 37 Goshen Park, on site or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our resident’s helpline 0800 2884268 or you can email Melanie direct at MelanieBeynon@coal.gov.uk.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. Outside of that you can call the residents helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Friday 23 April 2021

This briefing contains the latest update for residents. Previous briefings, FAQs and wider information is available.

Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

Our first phase clean-up of gardens and outside areas is on track and we expect to have completed this for all residents who have given us permission for the works by the end of April.

We know from Councillor Mike Harvey that there may be residents who would like their garden / outside areas cleaned but who have not registered this with us. We can only undertake clean-up works or drain clearance with your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

We have completed the site assessments for those residents that have requested garden re-instatement and will issue the draft schedules for this work (including estimated value) next week.  Please review the schedule and confirm your agreement via email to customerservice@coal.gov.uk  or contact the resident’s helpline if you have any queries. We need your agreement to the schedule of works before we can take action on your reinstatement so do get back to us as soon as you can. 

We intend to start the garden reinstatement in early May, once we’ve completed the first phase of clean-up. Once you’ve agreed your schedule of works we will be in touch to arrange convenient dates with you. 

Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you.

The full details of our support policy can be seen here. If you haven’t yet registered for support in reinstating your garden and would like to take up the offer then please complete our online form, call our residents’ helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. The reinstatement support (on a like for like basis) of up to £2000 (plus VAT and labour) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel or towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or a wider repair (such as a driveway).

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if we / our contractors are not purchasing the materials or furniture directly can also be provided by our residents’ helpline. 

Remediation work on site

Our works, directly on site and undertaking wider investigations, discussions with partners and regulators and to design the scheme continue. This week this has included further excavating around the collapsed area on the Goshen Park junction and carrying out mine water pump testing to enable deeper investigations of the blow out area. We continue to work closely with Western Power regarding their services. We remain on track to complete the full works (and reopen Drummau Road) by the end of August.

Last week we confirmed that we had opened an initial temporary footpath to allow pedestrian access from Goshen Park to the Highlands. This remains in place and the new temporary footpath (through 1 Goshen Park) will be in place by the end of next week and stay in place until the works have finished.

We will hold a further residents meeting on Zoom on 12 May 2021 between 6-7pm. This will be to share plans for the remediation work and new water management system. This will include proposed designs and options for the limited above ground features. The plans will then be displayed at 37 Goshen Park for you to discuss them with Mel and vote on your preferred option.

For more information and to register for the residents meeting please call our resident’s helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon is based at No. 37 Goshen Park and is continuing to walk around the area and speak with people so do come and see her if you have anything you’d like to talk about.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie at 37 Goshen Park, on site or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time  with our resident’s helpline 0800 2884268 or you can email Melanie direct at MelanieBeynon@coal.gov.uk.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. Outside of that you can call the residents helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Update for Skewen Residents from Neath Port Talbot Council – Tuesday 20 April

Drainage repairs

From Wednesday 21 April, we will be starting works to repair a section of open concrete drainage on land next to the Cwrt Clwydi Gwyn Care Home, Drummau Road, Skewen. 

The work was identified during our investigations following the Goshen Park flooding incident in January. The repairs will help prevent further damage to the drainage channel and reduce the flood risk in that area.

There will be a temporary 40m one lane road closure between the care home and the railway bridge for the duration of the works which will take approximately 6 weeks to complete. Temporary traffic lights will be in place to allow traffic to flow in both directions.

The full list of works include:

  • Site vegetation and tree clearance works.
  • Temporary diversion of the watercourse to accommodate the construction works
  • Foundation construction
  • Construction of gabion basket cascade
  • Construction of rock armour bank erosion protection across a length of circa 40m.
  • Removal and disposal of the existing length of open concrete channel
  • Construction of new fencing around open channel
  • Landscaping works and knotweed treatment

Road Diversion

We are still in the process of trying to establish agreement from the owners of the land over which an alternative access has been suggested. In addition to this, we are also undertaking a Cost Benefit Analysis which will include the financial costs, in addition to the environmental, highway safety and residential impacts associated with the creation of such an access. This analysis will also include the timescales associated with delivering a safe alternative access between Darran Park and Highland Gardens. We hope to publish the outcome of the assessment in the near future.

Update for Skewen residents from the Coal Authority - Thursday 15 April

​Clean up and garden reinstatement work for those impacted by flooding

Good progress is being made with the clean-up on Jubilee Crescent and Dynevor Road and it is expected that all areas will have completed the first phase of clean-up by end of April. This will then be followed up by a secondary clean-up to those areas that need it – do call the residents line if you’d like to book this.

We are also pushing on with drain clearance and expect all drain clearance to be completed by early May. Please speak with our on-site teams or contact the resident’s helpline if you are aware of any drain clearance that still needs to be completed.

If you have not yet had a clean-up of your garden area, are aware of any areas that still require a first phase clean up or want to book drain clearance then please speak to our on-site teams or contact the residents’ helpline.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Lee Cammack from our operational team has now completed on-site assessments for garden reinstatement for every property that has requested this support. These are now being worked on so that we can get a draft schedule for each property garden assessed back out to the householder for your review and sign-off. We aim to share the schedules during week beginning 26 April 2021 and will provide more information next week.

Our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents’ helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £2000 (excluding VAT) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway).

We are unable to provide reimbursement for garden replacement expenditure without receipts but we can buy replacement items on your behalf if you are unable to make an advanced purchase. For more information please speak with our residents’ helpline.

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly can also be provided by our residents’ helpline.​

Remediation work on site and pedestrian access

We had hoped to have the new pedestrian walkway in place from Goshen Park to the Highlands in place by the 12th April but this was impacted by contractor delays and we’re very sorry for any further inconvenience that this delay has caused. Yesterday (14 April) our initial temporary access opened which is wide enough for pushchairs and wheelchairs. This will remain in place until an improved path and ramps are installed shortly.

Western Power has been on site again this week, completing the safe removal of redundant cables which will allow us to extend our excavations at the road junction. Our remediation scheme plans continue to be developed and we will provide more information on public engagement with these next week.
If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services directly on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon has returned from her holiday and is now based at No. 37 Goshen Park. She has been speaking with individual residents regarding the clean-up of gardens and other related matters. Melanie is passing on your feedback to our operational teams and arranging visits for those that haven’t yet had a clean-up of their garden or require drain clearance. Melanie has also updated contact details at the tea shed for those that need to speak to the resident’s helpline or contact Melanie by email.

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.
Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Skewen Floods Update from Neath Port Talbot Council (Monday 12th April)

Road Diversion

We are in the process of assessing the proposed temporary alternative route between Darran Park and Highland Gardens. We have made contact with the owner of the bridleway that runs across the proposed route.

We are aware of concerns from both residents who are supportive of the proposed alternative route and those who are against it.

As soon as we have more information about the proposed route, we will publish a further update.

Reminder - mental health and wellbeing support

A list of support and resources that can help you with your mental health and wellbeing can be found here: https://www.npt.gov.uk/27335 

Coal Authority's Update for Skewen Residents (Thursday 8 April)

Clean Up and Garden reinstatement work

Clean up work has now successfully been completed at Goshen Park and efforts are being focused on completing the first phase of clean up on Jubilee Crescent and Dynevor Road .

If you are aware of any areas that still require a first phase clean up please speak to our on-site teams or contact the residents’ helpline

Lee Cammack from our operational team will be back on site Thursday and Friday this week to meet with residents and to finalise the remaining garden re-instatement repair schedules. Following completion of this work, Lee will look to issue a letter of assessment to those residents along with the agreed schedule for agreement. We will update you more on this in our next briefing.

If you have not yet spoken to our teams about garden reinstatement works, please contact the residents’ helpline.

We have previously confirmed that our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents’ helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £2000 (excluding VAT) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway).

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Remediation work on site and pedestrian access

This week we have been undertaking further work on the temporary lagoon and bringing in specialist equipment to manage the mine water to enable us to undertake further excavation work within the junction.  This is a precautionary measure to prevent any water pollution whilst we dig and disturb the ground around the mineshaft.

British Telecom have continued to relocate their cabling within the junction area, this will be completed on Monday 12th April. If you experience any issues with your BT Service please contact their customer services on 0800 800150.

Work this week has commenced on the new temporary pedestrian route to the rear of Goshen Park and will be completed in readiness for schools returning after the Easter holidays.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie Beynon returns from annual leave Monday 12 April and will be based at No. 37 Goshen Park. She will also remain around the area and will provide set times when she will be based at the tea shed for those that prefer to meet with her there.

We still have staff present on site that you can speak to or you can continue to call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday, anytime between 9-5pm. 

You can make an appointment to meet Melanie in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time  with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Coal Authority's Update for Skewen Residents (Thursday 1 April)

Remediation work on site and pedestrian access

Over the last week, we have been carrying out further excavation works at the location of the mineshaft and you may have noticed the larger vehicles and machinery at the site.

This work is progressing well and has allowed us to undertake the specialist sub surface sonar survey. This will provide additional information to inform our designs for the remediation of the Goshen Park junction and the permanent mine water management system.

British Telecom have also been on site to relocate their cabling within the junction area. If you experience any issues with your BT Service please contact their customer services on 0800 800150.

At our public meeting in February we said that we hoped to complete phase 1 works (remediating the mineshaft to allow the Goshen Park junction to reopen) within 3 months and phase 2 (construction of the permanent mine water management scheme) within 6 months.

Unfortunately, we have faced some delays to phase 1 due to the BT industrial action, completing property purchases and agreeing how we manage the excavation works with Natural Resources Wales. We expect to complete phase 1 work by the beginning of June and phase 2 works by the end of August. We will continue to keep you updated on timescales as the works progress.

Last week Western Power removed the final generator meaning all properties in the area are back on a cabled power supply. If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website

The removal of the generator means we can begin work on the temporary pedestrian route to the rear of 1 Goshen Park to allow pedestrian access through to the Highlands. We aim to have this completed by the end of the Easter School holidays.

Clean Up and Garden reinstatement work

We have continued first phase clean-up work on Jubilee Crescent, Dynevor Road and Goshen Park this week and our operational team has been meeting with individual residents to discuss their specific garden reinstatement requirements to allow us to develop a full schedule of works going forward. We will continue to engage with residents next week.

If you are aware of any areas that still require a first phase clean please speak to our on-site teams or contact the residents’ helpline.

If you have not yet spoken to our teams about garden reinstatement works, please contact the residents’ helpline so we can schedule a meeting with you at your property.

We have previously confirmed that our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided to you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents’ helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £2000 (excluding VAT) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway).

Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Community Liaison Officer

Our Community Liaison Officer Melanie Beynon will be on annual leave next week and will return the week commencing Monday 12 April, when she will be based at No. 37 Goshen Park.

We will still have staff present that you can speak to on site or you can continue to call our residents’ helpline Monday to Friday, anytime between 9-5pm. Please note that the residents’ helpline will be an answerphone service on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Road diversions around the remediation site

Thank you for your patience and co-operation regarding the current diversion route caused by the road closure at Drummau Road (near the Highlands).

We know that people would prefer an alternative to the current diversion route and Neath Port Talbot Council, who are the lead authority for roads, are actively considering this and have written to residents to say they will publish the outcome of the appraisal as soon as they are able to. We will continue to support them through the multi-agency group.

Details of the diversion route and any updates can be found below.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

 Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268  Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.  Please note that the residents’ helpline will be an answerphone service on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Floods Update (Friday 26 March) – mental health & wellbeing support reminder

Melin Community Trust are offering free counselling sessions to those who were affected by the floods in Skewen. Each person can access up to three free sessions. To find out more, contact Mark Fitzgerald by emailing mark.fitzgerald@neatheast.co.uk or calling 07483300772.

There is also a list of support and resources that can help with your mental health and wellbeing under the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section of the https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen webpage.

Coal Authority's Update for Skewen Residents (Thursday 25 March)

Remediation work on site

This week Western Power have been on site putting in place the cable diversion to switch back the power which will allow the final generator to be removed on Friday. Once this has taken place work will start on the new temporary pedestrian access route to the rear of 1 Goshen Park and allow pedestrian access to the Highlands, it is anticipated that this will be complete early April. If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website.

We have been undertaking survey camera work in the existing drainage systems in the area to fully understand where they are located and how they are operating.

Excavation work to remove the broken tarmac around the mine shaft on the Goshen Park junction will commence on Friday.

Next week we will be using specialist sonar equipment to explore and take sub surface images in the mine shaft. This information will aid our understanding of the cause of the incident and provide the additional information we need to inform our designs for the remediation of the junction and the mine water management system. Design options and plans of the water management system will be shared and discussed with residents once these are complete.

Garden reinstatement and support with clean-up

This week our operational teams have been on site speaking with residents about their specific garden repairs as our clean-up crews continue with the progress on Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent. Whilst a majority of the sludge, ochre and mud has now been removed from gardens, a second visit around the area will need to take place before the garden repairs can start. Our operational teams will agree with you the replacement garden repairs that are required. If you have not yet spoken to our teams about your garden repairs or you would like a further clean-up of your garden, please contact the resident’s helpline.

We have previously confirmed that our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided for you. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £2000 (excluding VAT) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway). Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Community Liaison Officer

Melanie is now meeting regularly with residents at their properties and around the area and continues to use your feedback to provide feedback to our operational teams and also NPT council on matters such as street cleaning and pedestrian access.

If you haven’t yet met Melanie and would like to speak with her, she is available at the Tea Shed on Dynevor Road between 1300 and 1700 Monday and Tuesday. At other times you will see her walking around the area or you can make an appointment to meet her in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Road diversions around the remediation site

Thank you for your patience and co-operation regarding the current diversion route caused by the road closure at Drummau Road (near the Highlands). We know that people would prefer an alternative to the current diversion route and NPT Council NPT who are the lead authority for roads are actively considering this and have written to residents to say they will publish the outcome of the appraisal as soon as they are able to. We will continue to support them through the multi-agency RCG group.

Details of the diversion route and any updates can be found in previous updates below.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.
Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Floods Update (Tuesday 23 March) - Letter from Karen Jones, Chief Executive, Neath Port Talbot Council

Dear Resident(s)

Incident at Goshen Park

First of all, I would like to thank you for your support and co-operation since January as we have worked with residents directly affected by the blow-out at Goshen Park to help them recover from the incident. The compassion and practical support provided by many residents of Skewen, alongside the business, voluntary and statutory agencies involved has been an enormous help.

As you will know, the junction at Goshen Park and Drummau Road is now closed as the Coal Authority need to work at the location to remediate the mine shaft and then implement an alternative mine water drainage solution. This work is estimated to take between six and nine months. This does mean that some residents face a longer journey over Drummau Mountain to access work and other services. Whilst steps were taken in the immediate aftermath of the emergency to provide access to a private road at the Highlands, regrettably, due to safety concerns and the attendant liabilities of the road owners in the event of personal injury and/or damage to property, the road has now been closed off to vehicular traffic.

It has been suggested that a temporary, alternative route be created across the bridleway that runs across Darran Park and Highland Gardens. The bridleway is not owned by the Council and the permission of the landowner is required, alongside a highways appraisal, to inform consideration of this proposal. I am aware that whilst supported by some residents as a suitable temporary access route, the proposal is not straightforward and there are concerns about the consequential impact of this proposed alternative. The proposal is under active consideration and we will publish the outcome of our appraisal as soon as we are able to.

In order to facilitate better access for pedestrians, I am aware that the Coal Authority have undertaken to provide an additional footpath to the rear of number 1 Goshen Park which will be of assistance to some residents.

We are publishing updates on the work we are doing with our partners on the Council’s website at www.npt.gov.uk/skewen. We can also directly text message residents with updates. If you are directly affected by this incident and would like to take up that text messaging service, please follow the link above and click on ‘Skewen Help’ where you can register to receive text updates.

Once again, I would like to thank you for your support and co-operation as we work to support residents to recover from this incident.

Yours sincerely

Karen Jones

Chief Executive

Coal Authority's Update for Skewen Residents –18 March 2021

This briefing contains the latest update for residents. Previous briefings, FAQs and wider information is available at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen

Pedestrian access and road diversions around the remediation site

Thank you for your feedback regarding the issue of vehicle and pedestrian access caused by the road closure at Drummau Road (near the Highlands). Whilst the junction must remain closed during the works for safety reasons we are acting on your feedback and working with NPT Council to investigate further alternative options.

This week we put in place a wider marked pedestrian route on the temporary access road to allow better access for prams and wheelchairs.

NPT Council and Swansea Council have undertaken work on the Drummau Road diversion and made improvements to the condition of the road. Signage has been installed to confirm that there is “access only” available to Penshannel.

We are working with NPT Council to agree a temporary pedestrian route to the rear of 1 Goshen Park and allow pedestrian access through to the Highlands to enable families and children to walk to school and for general pedestrian access. To make this happen we need Western Power to remove their remaining generator which will happen next week. We will then rearrange the drainage pipes to allow safe pedestrian access and mark and sign the route. We will open this as soon as possible and anticipate that this will be early April.

Western Power will be on site to remove the remaining generator at Goshen Park on Friday 26 March. If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website

We know that people would prefer an alternative to the current diversion route. NPT Council are leading on this as the lead authority for roads and access matters and considering whether anything more can be done. We continue to support them through the multi-agency RCG group.

Details of the diversion route and any updates can be found below (see Wednesday 10th March update).

Garden reinstatement and Support with clean-up

We know that the mine flooding incident on 21 January 2021 had significant impacts on the village of Skewen and have every sympathy for those affected. Whilst the Coal Authority does not have legal liability for flooding from mine water we recognise the impacts on people’s homes and lives and continue to provide practical support wherever we can, within the bounds of the legislation and guidance we have to operate within.

We have continued to listen to feedback from residents and gained greater information provided from the clean-up of gardens. As a result we announced yesterday that we have now amended our Support Policy increasing the cap for garden reinstatement from £500 (plus VAT and labour) to a maximum of £2000 (plus VAT and labour) on a like for like basis. The full details of our support policy can be seen here or contact the residents’ helpline

We have previously confirmed that our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place until the end of January 2022 to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided for you.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £2000 (excluding VAT) can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway). Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

This week our clean-up crews have continued making good progress on the gardens of Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent. NPT Council are also arranging a street sweeper to visit the area weekly and clean away any ochre, debris or mud which has dirtied the roads following clean-up of gardens.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

Remediation work on site

Excavation work of the collapsed zone is continuing. Investigations and excavation of the mine shaft will continue for the next few weeks. When options are confirmed we will run further public engagement so that you can see the maps, plans and visuals.

Community Liaison Officer

Please continue to feedback to Melanie Beynon any concerns or support required for drainage or clean-up of gardens required. Melanie is using your feedback to provide feedback to our operational teams and also NPT council on matters such as street cleaning and pedestrian access.

If you haven’t yet met Melanie and would like to speak with her, she is available at the Tea Shed on Dynevor Road between 1300 and 1700 Monday and Tuesday. At other times you will see her walking around the area or you can make an appointment to meet her in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Floods Update (Thursday 18 March) – Trees between Sunnyland Crescent and Cwrt y Clafdy

On the 17th February we updated you on a report from our arboriculturalist, which found that there was a small amount of work required to seven trees in the area between Sunnyland Crescent and Cwrt-Y-Clafdy.

This work has now been completed.

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents - 16 March 2021

Skewen residents who have suffered flooding

We know that the mine flooding incident on 21 January 2021 had significant impacts on the village of Skewen and have every sympathy for those affected. Whilst the Coal Authority does not have legal liability for flooding from mine water we recognise the impacts on people’s homes and lives and continue to provide practical support wherever we can, within the bounds of the legislation and guidance we have to operate within. On the 31st January 2021 we put in place a package of support based around (1) the clean-up of gardens and outdoor areas and (2) help in reinstating gardens and outside areas back to how they were before the incident. The second point was capped at £500 (plus VAT) of materials and reasonable labour.

Since we launched this policy we have continued to listen to your feedback through the resident’s line, on the ground and at the residents and street meetings we have held. For example we have already extended the clean-up to include clearing private drains based on your feedback. At the same time we have used information from the clean-up work to better understand the range of impacts across people’s gardens and outside areas. You have also been providing information on what work needs to be done using direct feedback and by completing our garden reinstatement form.

We have now completed a review of all this information and are changing the cap for garden reinstatement from £500 (plus VAT) to a maximum of £2000 (plus VAT) on a like for like basis. This can be used for things like fence panels, grass, gravel and patching holes or cracks in driveways or replacing damaged garden furniture or play equipment. Reasonable labour to undertake the work will still be provided. Our review shows that this should reinstate the majority of gardens.

View the full details of the updated policy and we will shortly update it on the Neath Port Talbot Council website. You can discuss any questions with our resident’s helpline 0800 2884268, by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk or with our Community Liaison Officer Melanie Beynon on site. Residents who have not yet claimed should complete our claim form. If you’ve already submitted a claim form you can review or amend it by contacting us through the resident’s helpline.

We will progress the reinstatement work as quickly as possible to enable those who can enjoy your gardens this summer. The support policy will remain in place for a minimum of 12 months to help those who will be out of their homes for longer.

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents – 11 March 2021

This briefing contains the latest update for residents. Previous briefings, FAQs and wider information is available.

Remediation work on site

This week excavation work of the collapsed zone has commenced. Investigations and excavation of the mine shaft will continue for the next few weeks.

Security guards are on site 24/7 at the Goshen Park and Penshannel road junction and are allowing delivery drivers and residents access to properties in this area when required. Signage confirming the availability for ‘access only’ traffic will be put in place next week to alert drivers to this option. We’d also encourage you to share this access information with any delivery drivers or visitors who may need to access the area over the next few weeks.

Following feedback at the Residents’ meetings we have reviewed how to facilitate better pedestrian access to Goshen Park for prams & wheelchairs. As a result, we will be marking a wide pedestrian route on the temporary access road next week.

Whilst Drumau Road (near the Highlands) must remain closed to traffic during the works for safety reasons, we are reviewing the possibility of creating pedestrian access to allow families and children to use this route to walk to school. We will update you in our next briefing.

To reduce the impact of this closure on traffic, Neath Port Talbot Council have put in place a local diversion route. Further details can be found on the Council’s update below (Wednesday 10 March).

Neath Port Talbot are re-instating the bollards that had been removed from the road off Penshannel Road that has been used by some vehicles to access the Highlands. This is following the request from the land owner as this road is private and unadopted by the Council. For any queries regarding this, please contact the Council directly.

It is expected that Western Power will be on site to remove the remaining generator at Goshen Park next week. If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website.

Mine entry inspection & Water sample reports

Following requests at the Residents’ meetings, the 2011 mine entry inspection report and residents letters issued at the time can now be published as we have the express consent of the owners of 45 and 46 Goshen Park. This information is available to view below or you may request a copy by contacting our residents’ helpline.

We have been taking water samples since the incident, which continue to confirm that there are no safety risk from the water. A copy of the water sample reports will be available on the NPT website from Monday or you may request a copy by contacting our residents’ helpline.

Mine entry inspection & Water sample reports

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Support with clean-up and garden reinstatement

This week our outdoor clean-up crews have continued work on Jubilee Crescent and Dynevor Road. They have also been back to Sunnyland Crescent, as well as completing the first clean up and further drainage works on Goshen Park. Next week work will continue to focus on Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

While not liable for the flooding, we do recognise the impacts of the incident on the community and we are working with partners to do all we can to provide practical help and support. This includes help with clean up (including private drain clearance) and £500 of materials (plus VAT and labour) to support the reinstatement of your gardens. The full details of our support policy can be seen here

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £500 can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway). Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

Please note that our online expenses form will be temporarily unavailable on Tuesday 16 March between 12:00 -14:00. Please complete the online form outside of these hours or contact the residents’ helpline for support.

Community Liaison Officer

This week Melanie (pictured below) has been busy speaking with residents on site and providing feedback to our operational teams. If you haven’t yet met Melanie and would like to speak with her, she is available at the Tea Shed on Dynevor Road between 1300 and 1700 Monday and Tuesday. At other times you will see her walking around the area or you can make an appointment to meet her in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Road Closure (Drummau Road, Skewen) - Vehicle Traffic & Pedestrian Diversion Routes (Update: Wednesday 10 March)

Drummau Road is currently closed from the junction of The Highlands to the junction of Penshannel.

Vehicle diversion route - The alternative route for vehicles is via the unaffected section of Drummau Road, A4230 New Road B4434, Dynevor Road, Sidings Terrace, Park Avenue, B4291 Birchgrove Road and Drummau Road (see map below).

Pedestrian diversion route -  The alternative route for pedestrians is via The Highlands, Darran Park and Penshannel (see map below).

Vehicle Diversion

Pedestrian Diversion

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents (Friday 5 March)

This briefing contains the latest update for residents. View previous briefings, FAQs and wider information.

Remediation work on site

This week we have finalised the relocation of the remaining BT services to enable the next phase of work to take place at the Goshen Park junction, which will start next week. 

To ensure the safety of the local community, access to Drumau Road via The Highlands must remain closed for the duration of the works. We would ask for your help to ensure that the safety fences are not moved as there is a public safety risk if people, children or vehicles move them to try to access the area.

To reduce the impact of this closure, Neath Port Talbot Council have put in place a local diversion route. Further details can be found on the Council’s website. We’d encourage you to share this alternative access and diversion information with any delivery drivers or visitors who may usually use this route to access the area over the next few weeks.

For access to Goshen Park you can continue to use the new temporary vehicle and pedestrian access at the other end of Goshen Park.  Following resident feedback, next week we are reviewing options to enable us to widen the pedestrian access to better facilitate prams and wheelchairs.

Our security guards remain on site and will continue to patrol the area.

Hopefully you have seen Melanie Beynon, Coal Authority Community Liaison Officer on site this week speaking with residents and liaising with our teams. Melanie works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and some other times by appointment. 

The plan remains for Melanie to be based at 37 Goshen Park but at the moment, she is available at the Tea Shed on Dynevor Road between 1300 and 1700 Monday and Tuesday. At other times you will see her walking around the area or you can make an appointment to meet her in person or arrange a socially distanced visit at your home by booking a specific time  with our Skewen Residents’ Helpline 0800 2884268. You can also continue to call the Skewen Residents’ Helpline Monday-Friday 9-5pm.

Support with clean-up and garden reinstatement

This week our outdoor clean-up crews have been focused on Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent.  Work will continue in this area next week.

We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

While not liable for the flooding, we do recognise the impacts of the incident on the community and we are working with partners to do all we can to provide practical help and support. This includes help with clean up (including private drain clearance) and £500 of materials (plus VAT and labour) to support the reinstatement of your gardens. The full details of our support policy can be seen here.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £500 can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway). Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline.

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268  Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Floods update (4 March) - Help disposing of flood damaged items 

Our waste vehicles will be at the Skewen flood site on Saturday (6 March) between 8am and 12pm to collect flood damaged items.

You can still flag down the vehicles if you have not prearranged a collection.

Skewen Floods: One month on (Friday 26 March)

Coal Authority Update for residents - Friday 26 February

This briefing contains the latest update for residents from the Coal Authority. Previous briefings, FAQs and wider information is available at NPT website - https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen. This is a longer briefing than normal as we’ve included information based on some of the questions we were asked at the street meetings this week.

Community liaison

We have recruited a local Community Liaison Officer to support residents through the duration of the Coal Authority work on site. Melanie Beynon will be on site from Monday 1 March and will be based from our Covid-19 secure temporary office at 37 Goshen Park. Melanie will work Monday, Tuesday and a half day on Wednesday - with some other flexibility where she is able. You can contact Melanie Beynon or do speak with her when she is walking around the area. To ensure that we can manage the temporary office at 37 Goshen Park in a Covid- 19 secure way, it is best to make an appointment either to visit in person or to arrange a drop in if Melanie is able. You can do this by calling our Skewen Residents’ Helpline on 0800 2884268 or emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk. Our Skewen Residents’ Helpline continues to be available Monday-Friday 9-5pm to discuss any questions or to book clean-up work or other support. This helpline will remain open for 12 months or until all work on site has been completed and everyone who has been affected by this incident returns home.

Street meetings

This week we have held 3 residents street meetings, chaired by Councillor Mike Harvey. These were grouped based on resident feedback as follows:

  • Tuesday 23 February – residents from Goshen Park, Sunnyland Crescent, The Highlands and Highland Close who had been flooded
  • Wednesday 24 February – residents from Dynevor Road and Jubilee Crescent
  • Thursday 25 February - residents from Goshen Park, Sunnyland Crescent, The Highlands and Highland Close who had been flooded


The meetings were to answer any additional questions that had not been covered at the resident’s public meeting on 4 February and any new questions that have arisen since. Thank you for attending and for your honest feedback and questions. The recordings from these calls are available. Secure access to view this can be obtained by calling
our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk. Due to data protection legislation we can only provide the relevant recording to the residents from the specific group. We are working through the requests for the meeting recordings as quickly as we can alongside co-ordinating the clean-up and other practical support on the ground.

Support with clean-up and garden reinstatement

While not liable for the flooding we do recognise the impacts of the incident on the community and we are working with partners to do all we can to provide practical help and support. This includes help with clean-up (including private drain clearance) and £500 of materials (plus VAT and labour) to support the reinstatement of your gardens. The full details of our support policy can be seen here

This week our clean-up crews have mainly been at Goshen Park and Dynevor Road removing the debris, sludge and mud and work has started at Jubilee Crescent. A second phase of clean-up will start at Sunnyland Crescent next week.

We have expanded our clean-up support to include private drain clearance. This includes initial drain rodding and a full drain jetting and cleanse when the initial clean-up work has been completed. We continue to work with residents who were flooded at Goshen Park and have surface water soakaways which are not working effectively. Replacing these requires permission from Neath Port Talbot Council and we are in discussions with them. Temporary fixes and support are being offered in the meantime. We cannot undertake clean-up works or drain clearance without your specific permission. If you would like this support and have not already given permission, then please contact our residents helpline on 0800 2884268 or by emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk.

If you would like to take up our offer of support with garden reinstatement, in line with the support policy, then please complete our online form, call our residents helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site. We can confirm that the £500 can be used for materials such as garden fencing, grass, gravel etc., towards the replacement of garden furniture or outdoor play equipment or towards a wider repair (such as a driveway). Further advice, and confirmation on what receipts / invoices are needed if our contractors are not purchasing the materials directly, can be provided by our residents’ helpline. We have confirmed that our clean-up and garden reinstatement support policy will remain in place for 12 months to allow those who will be out of their homes for longer to access it as needed. If you think this may apply to you please let the residents’ helpline know so that we can follow up later and ensure that the support is provided for you.

Remediation work on site

Virgin media have completed moving the broadband services at the Goshen Park Junction this week and we have established our contractor compound. We can now start further excavations of the collapse zone. While the services have been relocated we have been doing significant work in the background to progress options for the mine water management scheme, working with partners, contractors and others. We are also working with Neath Port Talbot Council, Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales to share drainage plans and information across the mountain and wider area to ensure that we collectively understand all aspects of water management in the area. We do know that the majority of the new mine water management scheme will be underground. Any features above ground will be carefully designed and landscaped to minimise any impact. As soon as we have final options and plans for the mine water management system we will hold a further online residents’ meeting to share maps and visuals. We will also make information and visuals available at our temporary office at 37 Goshen Park.

Support for discussions with insurance and mortgage companies

We are aware that some people have experienced issues with increased insurance renewal premiums and we are doing what we can to help. This includes meeting with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) this week to explain what has happened and confirm the exceptional nature of the incident.

We will provide each household with a pack of information in the weeks ahead which will include detail about the specific and unusual nature of what happened and detail the specifics and investment of the new mine water management scheme. This will include Coal Authority contact details and can be used in perpetuity with insurance companies, mortgage providers and others. We cannot provide this pack until the specific plans for the mine water treatment plan are confirmed. In the meantime we are very happy to support discussions on renewals or remortgaging to provide context and information. We do this regularly with insurers and mortgage providers on subsidence. Please contact the residents’ helpline if we can support you in this way.

Viewing Coal Authority plans of the area and seeing the Mining Report for your property

A number of residents have asked if they can see the coal mining information that we have of the area. This information is available to everyone online, on the Coal Authority interactive map viewer. We are also offering a free mining report for each property affected by the incident on 21 January. If you would like this then please contact our residents’ support helpline.

Flood sludge sample results

We have now received test samples back taken from the garden areas which confirms the sludge and debris are non-hazardous. A copy of the report will be available to view via the NPT website - https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen; if you would prefer to have your own copy by email, please contact the residents’ helpline. As with all flood water, we recommend anyone coming into contact with flood water debris take advice from Neath Port Talbot Environmental Health and Public Health Wales. Precautionary advice and links are on the councils website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/27177 .

Skewen Flood Debris Testing

  • Skewen Sludge Samples Summary Report 230221 (PDF 84 KB)

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Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.
 Read previous updates and FAQs on Neath Port Talbot Councils website at
https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
 If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power
Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website
 Access the Coal Authority interactive map viewer
 To view the Coal Authority’s Policy on Skewen flooding response support

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents’ support helpline or email us.
Telephone: 0800 2884 268 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Email: customerservices@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Flood Update – Friday 19 February

Help disposing of flood damaged items

Our waste vehicles will be at the Skewen flood site tomorrow (Saturday 19 February) between 8am and 12pm to collect flood damaged items.

You can still flag down the vehicles if you have not prearranged a collection.

Protect yourself against scams

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents – Friday 19 February

We continue to work in collaboration with partners and other agencies in Skewen to support and provide assistance to local residents.

Mineshaft remediation and mine water management system

Next week we will close the cul-de-sac entrance to Goshen Park and establish a compound for our staff and contractors to work in safely. This will allow us to expose the area around the mineshaft, finalise investigations and begin remediation works.

Construction works will only take place between Monday and Friday, between 8am and 5pm, to minimise disruption for local residents. Access for this work will be via Drummau Road.

The new temporary access road for the cul-de-sac and the separate pedestrian access will remain open and will be unaffected by the works.

We will update you when we have more detailed plans for the permanent mine water management system.

Clean up work

Work has continued to remove sludge, mud and debris from around affected houses. Work has focused on Goshen Park and Dynevor Road this week. We have also rodded the drains of affected houses and, once the initial clean up is completed, we will offer a comprehensive check of household drains and carry out final flushes as required.

The clean-up work will continue next week. If you have not already registered for this service and would like us to do the work, please complete our online form, call our residents support helpline, or talk to a member of Coal Authority staff on site.


Garden reinstatement support available

Once the initial clean-up is complete we will start work to support the reinstatement of gardens.

The Coal Authority will provide up to £500 of material (plus VAT) and a reasonable amount of labour for each property affected by flooding. You can request this help by calling the residents helpline or by completing the online form

Full details of our policy to provide clean up and support 

 

Street level meetings

Following our residents meeting on 4 February, we are holding informal street level meetings to hear any further feedback or questions that you have.

Councillor Harvey will be chairing the meetings and details about the meetings will distributed via the community WhatsApp group. If you are not part of the group and would like to be added to it, please contact Councillor Harvey.

 

Future communication and useful contacts

We will continue to send weekly briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

Read previous updates and FAQs on Neath Port Talbot Councils website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen

If you have any queries regarding your electricity supply, please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website

 

Contact us

If you have any questions about our work or you wish to book the help and support we can offer, please call our dedicated Skewen residents support helpline or email us.

Telephone: 0800 2884 268
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Email: customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Skewen Floods Update – Wednesday 17 February

Trees

The report from the council’s engineer confirms that the embankment upon which the trees are growing is structurally stable. The council also received the arboriculturalist report which confirms that a limited amount of work is required to seven trees within the area of land between Sunnyland Crescent and Cwrt y Clafdy which is protected by a Woodland Preservation Order. This work is limited to the removal of ivy and the lopping of a small number of branches.

The land is unregistered but the council has agreed to step in and undertake the work in this case, to further reassure residents. Notices will be displayed around the site to advise of the council’s intentions and enable the unregistered landowner to come forward. The arboriculturalist is also in consultation with the council’s planning service to secure permission to undertake this limited work given the protection afforded to these trees.

Following the completion of this work, the council is satisfied that the trees do not pose a danger to nearby properties.

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents – Monday 15 February 2021

Residents’ Meeting

Following our residents meeting on 4 February, chaired by Councillor Mike Harvey, we have sent an information leaflet by email and post to affected residents and those on nearby streets. You can also access the information from our leaflet at: https://www.npt.gov.uk/1410?pr_id=6728

Residents impacted by the flooding incident can request secure access to watch the recording of the meeting by calling our Skewen resident’s helpline on 0800 2884268 or emailing customerservice@coal.gov.uk

A number of questions were answered on the night and some further information was requested. This will be shared on the Council’s website as it becomes available and will be included in our weekly residents’ update. We will continue to work with Councillor Harvey to answer further questions as you raise them – or you can contact our resident’s helpline at any time. Thank you for your continued feedback.

 Temporary Access Road at Goshen Park

 The new temporary access road opened at Goshen Park as planned on 6 February. There is also a separate pedestrian access. This means that all but three families now have direct access back to their homes. We are providing bespoke support to those individuals.

 We are grateful for your patience and co-operation during construction. The new road has a 3.5 tonne limit on it to minimise the traffic that enters the cul-de-sac. There may be times where, by exception, we have to bring a larger vehicle in to facilitate the clean-up of the flooded properties in Goshen Park. For example, last week we needed to bring in a larger lorry to collect the dumpy bags of sludge and mud that has been cleaned from around flooded properties. We will keep this to the absolute minimum and always use banks people for additional safety. As discussed at the Residents Meeting all works traffic relating to the new mine water management system and associated mineshaft remediation will access from Drummau Road.  

 Security

 The Coal Authority continue to provide a security presence to support residents and help keep your homes safe whilst some are unoccupied. Before 6 February this consisted of 5 security officers – 4 to patrol Goshen Park (where the Coal Authority have the multi-agency lead for security) and 1 to patrol the wider streets where the Police are the multi-agency lead for security. Now that the majority of people are back in their homes at Goshen Park we have changed this to 2 officers at Goshen Park (1 to manage access and 1 to patrol the flooded properties) and 2 officers to patrol the wider streets in support of the Police.

 Power supply

 Following the flooding incident, Western Power switched the supply of electricity in a number of homes to generator supply enable emergency work to take place whilst ensuring the safety of residents. Nearly all homes have now returned to mains electricity supply and Western Power are working on a plan to remove the final generator at Highlands Close over the coming weeks.

 If you have any queries regarding this please contact Western Power Customer Services on 0800 096 3080 or visit their website https://www.westernpower.co.uk/

 Clean up progress and support with garden reinstatement

 The clean-up of sludge, mud and debris deposited by the flood water around people’s homes started 2 weeks ago and is progressing well. The Coal Authority is making use of a range of local contractors and have multiple crews on site to support this. Several of you have asked us to include drain clearance contractors and we are putting this in place. You can request this additional help by calling the residents helpline or by speaking with a member of Coal Authority staff on site.

 The initial clean up at Sunnyland Crescent is complete and work has been ongoing this week at the Highlands, Goshen Park and Dynevor Road. We will be starting at Jubilee Crescent next week. We do need your permission to undertake this work so if you would like it and haven’t yet given permission please do so by calling the residents helpline.

 This work will continue until every house that wants the service has received it and we also recognise that the outdoor areas of some properties may benefit from more than one clean, which is fine. Labour and costs for this work is unlimited and entirely separate from the financial support available to help with garden reinstatement.

 Once the clean-up work is complete, contractors will be starting on work to support the reinstatement of your gardens. The Coal Authority will provide up to £500 of material (plus VAT) and a reasonable amount of labour. You can request this help by calling the residents helpline and / or by filling in and returning the online form.


Complete the online form

 Read the full details of the support that we can provide

  Mine water management scheme and associated mineshaft remediation

 Now that the temporary access road is in place and once all necessary services have been realigned, the Coal Authority will be able to close the main cul-de-sac junction and begin the invasive investigation works needed to finalise designs and options for the new mine water management system and associated mine shaft remediation. We will keep you informed as plans and works progress.

 Future communications and updates

 If you have any questions or want to book the help and support outlined above then please call the Coal Authority’s dedicated Skewen residents support line from 9am-5pm, Monday – Friday on 0800 2884268 or email us: skewen@coal.gov.uk

 We will send weekly residents’ briefings directly to affected residents via email and publish them on Neath Port Talbot Council’s website.

We welcome your continued feedback about what communication you find most helpful.

Skewen Floods Update - Friday 12 February

Help disposing of flood damaged items

Today’s (Friday 12 February) arranged collections of flood damaged items has been changed to tomorrow morning (Saturday 13th February).

You can still also flag down the waste crews when they are on site.

Please ensure you leave enough space on the roads for our waste vehicles to access your properties.

Reminder – applications still open for Storm Christoph and Skewen Flood Support Grant

More than 100 applications have now been processed for Welsh Government’s Storm Christoph & Skewen Flood Support Grant.

Support is available for households:

  • whose internal homes have been flooded by Storm Christoph and the Skewen mine working floods. OR
  • who have been evacuated by the Council Coal Authority or other emergency service for more than 24 hours

Households that have been affected can apply for a payment of £500 (for those who have insurance) or £1,000 (for those without insurance cover).

You can apply online and find out more information at: https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewengrant

 

Wellbeing support

If you need support with your mental health and wellbeing, you can access support and resources from the below websites and organisations:

  • Adults
  • Children and young people
    NPT MIND at info@nptmind.org.uk
    NPT CVS befriending service – 01639 631246
  • Hafal Neath 
  • Mind -  (01639 643510)
  • One Step Counselling and mental health services – 07861210632
  • WCADA – mental health and substance misuse – 01639 620222
  • Wellbeing Through work  - 01639 684568
  • Barnardo’s
  • Activate your life – free online self-help video for anyone 16+ struggling with their mental health 
  • Daylight – is free online guide to support people through worry and anxiety 
  • Samaritans helpline –
    • Freephone 116 123 
    • Samaritans self-help app – to keep track of feelings and get recommendations for things you can do to help cope, feel better and stay safe in a crisis.
  • A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline – Community Advice and Listening Line – Freephone 0800 132 737 or Text HELP to 81066
  • Access to the GP hub in Neath –
    • Contact your local GP who will then make a referral onto the mental health provision based within the GP hub.

Storm Christoph and Skewen Flood Support Grant Update – Wednesday 10 February

More than 100 applications have now been processed for the Welsh Government Storm Christoph & Skewen Flood Support Grant. The next payments will reach the bank accounts of those who have applied on Thursday 11 February.
For more information about the grant and if you have not yet completed an online application form, visit https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewengrant

Skewen Floods Update (Wednesday 10 February) - Help disposing of flood damaged items

If you still have flood damaged items and need help with disposal, please email us at environment@npt.gov.uk or call 01639 686868 to let us know when you are putting your items out for collection.

Skewen Floods Update (Wednesday 10 February 2021) - Residents’ Incident Support Centre

As part of our immediate response and to support all residents affected by the flooding, the Resident’s Incident Support Centre was set up at Abbey Primary School.

With more personalised contact and support now being offered to residents, the final operational day of the Resident’s Incident Support Centre at Abbey Primary School will be Friday February 12th.

As well as providing continued in-person support to affected residents, we are continuing to update these webpages with the latest advice and links you may find helpful.

Here we have compiled a list of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ raised by Skewen residents over the last few weeks.

We understand that everyone that was affected by the floods in Skewen has had a lot to deal with both practically and emotionally. If you require support for your mental health and wellbeing, please contact your GP for advice and assistance.

The following resources may also be of help to you:

• Online resources in relation to adults 
• Online resources in relation to children and young people
• For counselling support you can contact NPT MIND on 01639 643510 or email info@nptmind.org.uk
• For a more extensive list of resources please go to the FAQs page.

If you require support to access white goods or furniture please contact the Safe and Well Service on 01639 686868 or your Local Area Coordinator, Emma Jones, on 07583 780991.

If you require independent advice on your personal situation, please contact Citizens Advice on (0808 278 7926)

If you require support in relation to your housing situation, please contact our Housing Options team on 01639 685219 or email housingoptions@npt.gov.uk

If you require any further information, assistance or advice not covered in the above please contact your Local Area Coordinator on: 07583 780991. Emma will be able to offer you support and redirect your call to the appropriate services/organisations based on your needs.

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents - Tuesday 9 February 2021

This leaflet is for all those in Skewen affected by the mine water flooding incident and evacuation on 21 January or who lives in the immediate area.

We know that not everyone was able to attend the online Residents' Meeting that was held on 4 February and wanted to share the key information with you. If you would like more information or to discuss this further there are contact details at the end of the leaflet.

Here to help
Everyone at the Coal Authority is genuinely sorry that so many residents were affected by the flooding incident on 21 January 2021. We have been working with partners since then to get people back to their homes and to investigate what caused the flooding and design remediation works and a new mine water management system to give the community peace of mind. The Coal Authority does not have liability for flooding and residents who have been flooded need to work with their insurers regarding any damage that has been caused. We have put in a package of support to help with the outdoor clear up and to support the reinstatement of gardens and outside areas. There is more information in this leaflet.

21 January 2021
Coal Authority staff were on site as soon as we were informed of the incident. We supported the emergency services to keep everyone safe and began an immediate investigation into the information we and others hold about the mining legacy of the Skewen area to get the clearest picture possible. It is not unusual for heavy rain to expose mining features or cause mine water to rise but the scale, length and impact of this event is extremely unusual. Our investigations showed that the mine water from the workings above Skewen now needs a new management solution and that the mine shaft on the Goshen Park junction which was damaged by the mine water needs to be remediated. We can clearly state that there is no wider stability risk to the area and no new or increased risk to any property in the Skewen area from mining subsidence or other mine shafts / mining features in the local area.

What happened and why
The area around Skewen has a large number of historic mine workings, which date back to before 1850, predating the legal requirement for mine owners to lodge mining records. Rainwater seeps into the hillside and enters the mine workings. The mine workings above and around Skewen cover over 12km². The main underground water drainage channel (or adit) is 4.8km long. The drainage channel has operated effectively for a very long time but has become blocked, causing water to build up in the adit. The pressure of the water forced a connection with the nearby mineshaft which allowed the water to rise much closer to ground level and weaken the mine shaft and area around it causing the water to ‘blow out’ from the mineshaft and cause the flooding we saw on the 21 January 2021.

The mine water contains iron from the mine workings which is why it was so orange (like rust) at first. We have been taking regular samples of the mine water since the incident and can confirm that there is nothing in the mine water which is of concern or would affect the clean-up. All floodwater is unfortunately contaminated from sewers and drains and the NPT website ( https://www.npt.gov.uk/27177 ) provides advice on sensible precautionary measures.

What's been done?
Public safety, working with emergency partners, was our first priority. The area was fenced and the gas to Goshen Park disconnected. Some residents were evacuated due to this and because of the unsafe access at the Goshen Park cul-de-sac entrance near the blow out. We worked with Neath Port Talbot Council to put in place a temporary mine water management system. As flows reduced from the mine workings this was changed to an alternative system to allow access back to more homes. Everyone other than Goshen Park residents regained access to their homes on or before 28 January. The temporary system is monitored daily and is coping well with the flows.

We undertook drilling work in the area around the blow out to identify the extent of the damaged mine shaft at the junction. This allowed us to facilitate short term access to Goshen Park (29/30 January) to allow residents to collect cars and precious / essential belongings. Work then began to repair and reconnect the gas line and to install a new temporary access for Goshen Park residents which opened 6 February and has allowed all but 3 families to have full access to their homes. To support residents we established a dedicated community support helpline 0800 2884268 which is available 9-5 Monday to Friday to deal with practical questions and administer the support which we could put in place and are providing 24/7 security at Goshen Park and providing additional security patrols to support the Police in the wider areas.

What's next?
Now the temporary access is in place at Goshen Park the cul-de-sac junction will be closed and work to remediate the mineshaft and to finalise and install a new water management system will begin. The road junction to Goshen Park will be open within 3 months and the new system will be in place within 6 months. The new mine water management system will be of sufficient capacity to manage all mine water flows from the hills and workings above and will take into account the potential impacts of future extreme weather. The system will have 24/7 flow monitoring and telemetry alarms so that it can be continuously monitored and swift action taken if there is any change. We aim to minimise disruption as much as possible during the works and will keep you updated as the design details and works progress. We will continue to work closely with Neath Port Talbot Council to provide support and share information.

Reporting concerns
Since the incident many of you have provided information to suggest that unusual occurrences had occurred in the days, weeks and months before the blow out occurred. We have listened to this feedback and will be running a public awareness campaign with local communities, Local Resilience Forum partners and utility companies in the weeks and months ahead to help more people be aware of our work and know that they can report such things directly to us. We know that local people know their area best and on average we receive 800-1000 reports a year which we investigate promptly and take action as needed. You, or any of your friends or family who live in coalfield areas (52% of people do across South Wales) can call us 24/7 on 01623 646333.

How can I find out more?
• you can call our residents' helpline 0800 2884268 Monday-Friday 9-5pm
• we will provide a weekly update to all residents that we have email addresses for. If you haven’t provided your details (or would prefer your update to be posted) then please let us know using the residents' helpline
• our updates, and answers to questions you have posed, will also be shared on the Neath Port Talbot Skewen residents' website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
• we will continue to share our information with Councillor Mike Harvey who will share on his residents' WhatsApp groups and his Facebook page
• we will be employing a local community liaison officer and will provide more information asap

What support is available?
Whilst the Coal Authority does not have legal liability for flooding and people do need to work with their insurance companies on the majority of the flood recovery work we recognise the impacts on people’s homes and lives and want to help where we can. This includes:

• cleaning external areas around flooded properties of ochre, mud and debris. Crews have been on site since 1 February and will continue until this has been done for all residents who want it – please give your permission through the residents' line
• support towards the reinstatement of gardens and outside areas up to a total of £500 of materials (plus VAT and reasonable labour costs) – you can request this and fill out a form of the specifics through the residents' line

Full details can be found on the Coal Authority website. Our residents' helpline team can discuss this and other practical support (such as the reimbursement of hotel accommodation or an allowance for the time residents were evacuated / without access).

Follow up to residents' meeting
A large number of questions were raised and answered at the online meeting and more were raised in the chat function. All of these have been captured and will be answered in the following ways:

• property or resident specific questions will be answered directly to the resident who asked them
• general questions / answers and associated information (for example mine water monitoring data) will be shared through the residents' briefing and the FAQ pages on the NPT website.

The Coal Authority has also offered follow up meetings at a street level if residents would like this.

Please can you request this through Councillor Mike Harvey (cllr.m.harvey@npt.gov.uk) if you and your neighbours would find this helpful?

A full recording of the meeting is available on request via a secure transfer to all residents who have been affected or attended the residents’ meeting. Please contact the residents' helpline or email customerservice@coal.gov.uk

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents - Tuesday 9 February 2021

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Skewen Flood – Update from Citizens Advice – Tuesday 9 February 2021

Have you been affected by the recent flooding at Skewen?

Citizens Advice Swansea Neath Port Talbot are here to provide help, advice and support to those who may not have insurance, or who may be facing challenges with insurance claims, changes in benefits claims or housing issues.

We will be at the Resident Incident Support Centre at Abbey Primary School on Wednesday 10th February between 10am and 12 noon and again on Thursday 11th February from 2pm.

We can also be contacted on our free phone line on 0808 278 7926

Or via email at help@citizensadvicesnpt.org.uk 

Information is also available on our website

Skewen Floods update – Friday 5 February 2021

Trees

Following residents’ concerns and requests for some trees to be checked, a single tree between Sunnyland Crescent and Goshen Park has been removed. The council’s arborist has also inspected trees on the embankment between Sunnyland Crescent and Cwrt-y-Clafdy. They were found to be in a satisfactory condition but will be subject to further monitoring.

Diversion route – Drummau Road

Residents have raised concerns about the condition of this route.

In response, pothole repairs have been completed but highways officers are now undertaking a detailed survey of the road with respect to any necessary and more comprehensive, planned maintenance.

Some damaged post and rail fencing is also going to be repaired.

Junction between Highlands and Drummau Road

In last night’s public meeting, residents expressed concerns about the restrictions in place at the junction between Highlands and Drummau Road. Unfortunately this is as a consequence of the temporary drainage which has been put in place to capture the water from the blowout hole close to the access to Goshen Park. The temporary drainage has been designed to minimise the impact upon the accessibility of the highway but unfortunately it is acknowledged that some disruption will be experienced. The Coal Authority are in the process of designing a more permanent solution and until such a solution is designed and implemented, disruption to vehicular movements at this location will unfortunately continue.

Message for residents of Goshen Park - Friday 5 February

Waste collections

The Coal Authority has been able to construct the temporary access track to Goshen Park a bit wider than expected so we will be able to continue to provide waste collections using bin lift vehicles.  Consequently our normal wheelie bin and recycling collections can now restart.  The waste collection day will however need to change from Thursday to Friday.

So normal waste collections for Goshen Park will start next week on Friday 12th February and will continue to be collected on a Friday until further notice.

Next week is a ‘recycling only’ week, and as refuse was collected on the morning of the flooding incident, there shouldn’t be a backlog of refuse.  However, the Council will be arranging to collect any flood damaged waste, so if anyone does have any additional refuse you can take it out to our crews when they are there.

Help with disposal of flood damaged possessions

Because of the restricted access we will be arranging visits to Goshen Park to assist with disposal of any flood damaged waste on an appointment basis.  Please email us at environment@npt.gov.uk  or call us on 01639 686868 during office hours to leave us your contact details. A member of the waste team will then contact you to arrange a suitable time for collection.

 

Residents’ Incident Support Centre to remain open next week (week commencing Monday 8 February)

Our Residents’ Incident Support Centre at Abbey Primary School will remain open next week (Monday 8 to Friday 12 February, 9am to 5pm) to offer help, information and advice to residents who have been affected by the floods in Skewen.

At the Centre, you can get help with:

  • Housing support
  • Social services – e.g. wellbeing support, welfare rights support, information, assistance and advice
  • Information on community safety
  • Information on how to make your home fire safe along with free smoke & carbon monoxide alarms
  • Completing the Skewen Flood Support Grant
  • Environmental Health Support and Advice

If you need support with your mental health and wellbeing at this difficult time, you can also access support and resources from the below websites and organisations:

If you need support outside of these hours, please call

  • 01639 686868 for general queries
  • 01639 685219 for emergency housing needs
  • 01639 895455 for the Social Services Emergency Duty Team

Skewen Floods Update (Wednesday 3 February) - Help disposing of flood damaged items

Our waste crews will be on site of the flood again this Saturday (6 February) between 8am and 4pm to collect flood damaged items. Please send us an email to environment@npt.gov.uk to let us know when you are putting out items for our waste team to collect or flag down the crew when they are on site. You can also call us on 01639 686868 to let us know if you need waste collected. You DO NOT need to book a slot.

Coal Authority Update for Skewen Residents – 3 February 2021

Goshen Park residents update
We understand that residents want access back to their homes as soon as possible. We are pleased to confirm that work on the temporary access road (from Drummau Road to the circular end of the cul-de-sac) will be completed on Friday 5 February as planned. Residents will have road access to their homes using this new access from 8am on Saturday 6 February.

Wales and West utilities have been working to reconnect the gas to properties at Goshen Park. Before residents can move back in to their homes (whether they were flooded or not) gas safety checks need to be completed for each house. Engineers from Wales and West Utilities will be on site from 9am – 4.30pm on Thursday 4 February and Friday 5 February to do this. Residents do not need to book in advance but can turn up (using the pedestrian access on the original cul de sac junction) and meet the engineers on site. We can only provide pedestrian access on these days so please park safely off site. If you are not able to meet the engineers on site on one of these days then please contact our residents’ helpline on 0800 2884268 to discuss alternative arrangements.

Please get in touch
Please can we remind any residents who were affected by the flooding and haven’t yet provided their contact details to us, to get in touch if you would like to receive proactive updates by phone and / or email and also information on any support that we can provide. You can call us from 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday on 0800 2884268.

Don’t forget
Please see our previous update (dated 31 January 2021 at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen) for information that is still relevant about:

- Our residents’ Zoom meeting this Thursday (4 February)
- Practical support with outside clean up and garden reinstatement for those who have suffered flooding. You can also find relevant information and a simple form to complete.

You can also contact our residents’ support line for information and any further support - including details about reimbursement for accommodation expenses incurred due to the evacuation. This is from 21 January – the evening you were evacuated from your home – until the point that access has been made available to your property (on or before 28 January for all residents except for those at Goshen Park who will have access on 6 February.) Hotel accommodation will be reimbursed with a receipt, otherwise an allowance of £30 a night per household can be claimed.

Future updates
- For the latest residents’ information from the Coal Authority, you can continue to access Neath Port Talbot Council’s resident website at https://www.npt.gov.uk/skewen
- If you have any questions or need advice, you can call our dedicated Coal Authority Skewen community liaison team from 9am-5pm, Monday – Friday on 0800 2884268

We welcome your continued feedback about how you would like us to communicate with you.

​

Temporary changes to the 155 bus service in Skewen

Due to essential maintenance work in Woodland Close, Skewen, the 155 bus service which operates on a Tuesday and Thursday is unable to serve its usual route. This will affect residents in Brookville Drive, Woodland Close, Dynevor Road and Drummau Road. While the work is ongoing the 155 service will operate via New Road Skewen.

Skewen Floods Update (Wednesday 3 February) – Insurance advice

Many residents affected by the flooding have asked us where to get advice about insurance.

Advice for those with insurance:

  • Please contact your insurers as soon as possible to inform them of the flood damage
  • Read your policy and understand the insurance cover you have in place.
  • Ask them for details on how to make a claim and whether they will send out an insurance loss adjuster
  • Take photographs or video of the damage to your home and contents  
  • Don’t throw away any damaged items until you have discussed with your insurer.
  • Some insurance companies will offer you a fixed amount to settle the claim – before accepting be sure that you understand what they are offering and whether it is reasonable.  

If you don’t have insurance, or need help with claims, the team of advisers at Citizens Advice Swansea Neath Port Talbot are here to provide help, advice and support to those who may not have insurance, or who may be facing challenges with insurance claims, changes in benefits claims or housing issues.

They can be contacted on their free phone line on 0808 278 7926, or via email at help@citizensadvicesnpt.org.uk Information is also available on our website at www.citizensadvicesnpt.org.uk 

Skewen Floods Update – Tuesday 2 February

Coal Authority's Public Meeting – Thursday 4 February

The Coal Authority is holding an online public event for residents that have been affected by the floods on Thursday 4 February at 6:00pm. To book a place please call their residents helpline on 0800 2884 268.

Coal Authority's package of support

We’ve been listening to your feedback and you’ve told us that one of the best ways to help is to provide practical support in sorting out gardens and outside areas where they are not covered by insurance.
We have put together a package of support which is available to all those in Skewen who have suffered external flooding. There are two aspects:

(1) Immediate help clearing external areas around the property of ochre, mud and debris. Crews will start onsite Monday 1 February in Sunnyland Crescent and then move to Jubilee Crescent, Highlands, Dynever Road, Cwty-Y-Clafdy and surrounding areas before starting in Goshen Park on Monday 8 February when the new temporary access is available.
(2) Support to reinstate gardens and outside areas back to how they were before the flooding. This includes things like fence panels, grass, gravel and patching holes or cracks in driveways up to a total of £500 of materials.

If you would like to register for this practical help then please call the residents hotline on 0800 2884268 and we will then let you know when the crew can be on site to clear up and then to discuss your preferences for garden reinstatement.

You can see the full details of this support at appendix 1 below.

Appendix 1
The Coal Authority - Policy on Skewen Flooding Response Support – 31 January 2021

On 21st January 2021, following Storm Christoph and prolonged wet weather across Wales a large volume of water flooded into Skewen from mine workings in Goshen Park.

The Coal Authority has investigated this thoroughly. The incident was as a result of a blockage in an old drainage adit (mine working). We are putting in place work to remediate this adit and the mineshaft involved. We will build a new mine water management system to capture the water coming down from the mines above Skewen to reduce the risk of such an event happening again. This will have flow monitoring and telemetry (alarm) systems so it can be monitored 24/7.

We recognise that the flooding has had a significant impact on many homes and we want to offer assistance to the local community with the clean-up. Flood recovery is a matter for insurance and residents should work through their insurers in the first instance but we have been told by many who are affected that some or all of their outside clean-up and reinstatement is not covered by insurance. We will therefore offer the following support:
(1) Immediate help clearing external areas around the property of ochre, mud and debris. Crews will start onsite Monday 1 February in Sunnyland Crescent and then move to Jubilee Close, Highlands, Dynever Road, Cwrt-Y-Clafdy and surrounding areas before starting in Goshen Park on Monday 8 February when the new temporary access is available.

(2) Support to reinstate gardens and outside areas back to how they were before the flooding. This includes things like fence panels, grass, gravel and patching holes or cracks in driveways up to a total of £500 of materials


The eligibility criteria for such support are as follows:
1. A person eligible for support must be an owner or occupier of a home flooded in Skewen on 21st January 2021;
2. The resident is responsible for contacting the Coal Authority through the residents helpline 0800 2884268 to request assistance
3. The resident will need to agree in writing with the Coal Authority or its contractors what garden reinstatement will be provided
4. The cap for garden / outdoor reinstatement work (not including the initial clearance of ochre, gravel or small debris) is £500 of materials per household
5. The Coal Authority will provide other reasonable assistance such as labour at its sole discretion

It should be noted that the Coal Authority has no legal liability for coal mine water discharges. This policy has been adopted by the Coal Authority pursuant to its statutory functions. No part of this policy or any action taken prior to or following the flooding at Skewen on 21st January 2021 by or on behalf of the Coal Authority, its employees and officers, may be construed as in any way constituting an admission of liability for the flooding on 21st January 2021 or any of its consequences.

 

Residents’ Incident Support Centre Update - Tuesday 2 February

Our Residents Incident Support Centre at Abbey Primary School will remain open this week and next week (week commencing Monday 8 February) to offer help, information and advice to residents who have been affected by the floods in Skewen.

At the Centre, you can get help with:

  • Making appointments with utility companies and the Coal Authority
  • Housing support
  • Social services – e.g. wellbeing support, welfare rights support, information, assistance and advice
  • Information on community safety
  • Completing the Skewen Flood Support Grant
  • Environmental Health Support and Advice

If you need support with your mental health and wellbeing at this difficult time, you can also access support and resources from the below websites and organisations:

There will be further updates in relation to other support organisations coming soon.

If you need support outside of these hours, please call

  • 01639 686868 for general queries
  • 01639 685219 for emergency housing needs
  • 01639 895455 for the Social Services Emergency Duty Team

Skewen Flood & Storm Christoph Support Grant Update - Tuesday 2 February

More than 90 applications have now been processed for the Skewen Flood & Storm Christoph Support Grant. The next payments will reach the bank accounts of those who have applied on Thursday 4 February.

The grant is available for households:

  • whose internal homes have been flooded by Storm Christoph and the Skewen mine working floods. OR
  • who have been evacuated by the Council Coal Authority or other emergency service for more than 24 hours

Households that have been affected can apply for a payment of £500 (for those who have insurance) or £1,000 (for those without insurance cover).