Residents hit by flooding call for quarry to shut after blast

Residents who were forced to evacuate their homes due to flooding following a planned blast at Taff's Well quarry have called for it to shut.

Emergency services were called and roads remain shut in Gwaelod-y-Garth, on the outskirts of Cardiff.

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was working with South Wales Police to investigate.

On Friday, Breedon Group Chief Executive Officer Mike Pearce confirmed that the incident happened following a "planned blast" adding they will support the authorities with their investigation and will be carrying out its own investigation to understand what happened.

One resident facing a major home clean-up said the blast was so noticeable that "the whole house shook like a bomb had gone off", while another said it was like three times the usual "mini earthquake".

Cardiff council confirmed the flooding had affected 15 properties, with 13 homes evacuated. It added it would continue to work with emergency services and agencies to support residents while investigations continued.

Water company Dwr Cymru confirmed the incident was not related to its pipe network.

Residents said they heard a loud blast from the direction of Taff's Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, at about 12:30 BST, and then "huge amounts of water" started rushing down the hillside.

The council confirmed that officers from highways, flood risk management, transport, waste management and housing attended the scene on Thursday afternoon and evening.

Paul Kipling, who lives on Heol Berry, said there was "no group as such yet", but residents wanted to come together "to try and stop the blasting".

"If they can have their licence taken away pending an investigation, it's not fair to the neighbours," he said.

Mandy Symonds, whose home has been in her family since her grandparents, believes the quarry should be shut down.

"I would like somebody from Breedons to come in and see the damage to my house and my garden, which is professionally landscaped and cost me a lot of money.

"Explain to me why that was allowed to happen, but I can't see them doing any blasts in the immediate future."

Gareth Morgan and Debi Bode, who just had their house newly rendered, said cracks appeared in their house every week.

"Normally, you feel it just bang, like a shake. It feels like there's a mini earthquake. But yesterday, it felt like it were three of them," said Gareth

Due to the significant damage caused by the flooding to both roads and property, road closures and traffic management measures remain in place while the emergency response continues.

Main Road in Gwaelod-y-Garth and Heol Goch between Gwaelod-y-Garth and Pentyrch are closed while clean-up operations and investigations continue.

Residents and motorists have been asked to follow all road closure signs and diversion routes, which are in place for public safety.

Cardiff council added highways and cleaning teams had been working on site to clear roads and remove debris where it was safe to do so.

However, significant damage has been caused to the highway, with mud, silt, debris and other obstructions continuing to block access, and also ongoing safety concerns relating to both the road and the surrounding embankments.

It also confirmed that accommodation had been arranged for one family overnight with officers providing support for another family on Friday morning.

Other affected families have made their own private arrangements.

Due to the possibility of river pollution, the council advised the public not to enter the watercourse of the rivers and not allow their dogs to swim in the water until the investigations were complete.

Leader of the council, Chris Weaver, said the priority remained as the safety and wellbeing of residents affected.

"Council teams will continue to support affected residents and carry out the necessary clean-up, investigation and repair work as quickly and safely as possible."

Alex Davies-Jones, Labour MP for Pontypridd, has written to the Welsh government, saying constituents in the area had been caused "considerable anxiety" by the blast and flooding.

She added incident had "brought existing concerns about blasting, groundwater, drainage, land stability and the wider impact of quarrying activity sharply back into focus".

"My residents should not have to wait for a serious incident at Craig yr Hesg before their concerns are treated with the urgency they deserve," she said.

Siân Gwenllian, the Welsh government cabinet member for local government, housing and planning, said her thoughts were with those affected by the "concerning incident".

"We continue to monitor the situation and support our partners as part of a multi-agency response, which is now transitioning to recovery," she said.

"Relevant authorities will now be investigating the incident to understand exactly what happened so it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this stage."

Kiera Marshall, Member of Senedd for Caerdydd Penarth said she could not believe the "level of destruction caused" to homes.

She added she would be in the area, along with her team, to provide practical support and advice.