The Global Centre of Rail Excellence is working with Powys and Neath councils to enable restoration of the controversial spoil tip opposite the village of Pantyffordd, known locally as the ‘Wedding Cake’, with work beginning in the coming months subject to the necessary permissions and consents being agreed.
GCRE Limited is constructing a major new rail innovation facility in south Wales. The site is planned to become a location for world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new technologies that will fill a strategic gap not just in UK rail, but across Europe.
GCRE acquired its 700-hectare site in September 2022, including the former Nant Helen open cast mine.
With the land transfer it also inherited obligations to reduce the height and visual impact of the remaining spoil tip in line with planning conditions for the site’s restoration.
GCRE Chief Executive Simon Jones said removing the top of the tip had become an issue of ‘trust’ and that it was important the company acted on the wishes of the local community.
GCRE Limited Chief Executive, Simon Jones said: “I’m very pleased to announce that the Global Centre of Rail Excellence is committed to reducing the height of the spoil tip known as the ‘Wedding Cake’, and to ensuring that the works create an acceptable restored landform for the local communities.
“As people will know, when we took ownership of the GCRE site in September 2022, we also inherited the challenge of the spoil tip. At that stage, restoration work had still to be undertaken on the tip and it was not clear there was sufficient legacy funding to reduce the height of the tip in line with the obligations set out in the planning permission.
“What we have been doing over these last few months is listening to the local community and hearing their very clear desire to see this tip reduced. But we have also been grappling with the challenge of how we could sustainably fund that restoration work.
“I’m pleased to say that, after working closely and positively with politicians and officers from both Neath Port Talbot and Powys councils, we are now in a position to make a commitment that the overburden mound will be reduced and work will start as soon as possible.
“What is very clear to us as a company – and what underpins this commitment – is our clear belief that the community deserve these restoration works to be undertaken. We will find the funding needed to do that by incorporating the tip’s removal into our wider development approach for the overall GCRE site.
“The local communities around the site have been magnificent to us as company in the very important support that they have given GCRE. On this issue it is a matter of trust that we repay that support by committing to undertake the work on the spoil tip.
“I hope this signals our intent, moving forward, to develop a close partnership with the local community in terms of how we will work together to develop the GCRE vision.
“We will work hard to listen the concerns of local people and where we can, respond positively so that we can deliver the local jobs, skills and impact that we know the facility offers up.”
Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Steve Hunt said: “The GCRE development will undoubtedly provide a unique capability in the UK and Europe to support innovation in the UK and international rail industry, including the testing of cutting edge, green technologies. On this basis, Neath Port Talbot council have been working closely with both the GCRE team and Powys Council to ensure that the benefits of this development are not only delivered for the rail industry, but they also deliver direct benefits to the surrounding communities.
“And as a ward councillor for Crynant, Onllwyn and Seven Sisters I am pleased to see the intent shown by GCRE to be a listening organisation and to commit to addressing the ‘wedding cake’ overburden situation raised by local residents.”
Leader of Powys County Council, Cllr James Gibson Watt said: “We are delighted to be working in conjunction with GCRE and Neath Port Talbot CBC on this very exciting project that is clearly of national significance. We welcome the commitment of GCRE to reduce the overburden mound and our planning team will be working closely with them to ensure that the most appropriate long term restoration landform is achieved for the entire site, including the so called “wedding cake” and the final void of the opencast operations.”
Photo credit: GCRE
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