Traveller group told to stop digging from hillside in Blaenau Gwent
People living near the Nantyglo Rugby Club have raised concerns about a possible landslip
Last updated 7th Apr 2024
A Traveller group's been ordered to stop digging earth from a hillside in the Welsh valleys.
Blaenau Gwent Council have issued the landowners a 'stop notice', after residents raised concerns that continued excavation on the sloping field next to Nantyglo Rugby Club could cause a possible landslip.
The digging had been going on since late March, with heavy machinery seen in the area.
Independent experts commissioned by Blaenau Gwent Council said there was no immediate risk to properties in the area, but 874 people had signed a petition calling for the digging to stop.
The "stop notice' is issued when the Council believes there has been a breach of planning rules.
It is in place for 28 days.
A Blaenau Gwent Council spokesperson told the BBC:
"We consider that there has been a breach of planning control by the unauthorised excavation of this land.
"This includes importation of material, creation of embankments and re-profiling of the area.
"The (stop) notice requires that the activity specified is stopped with immediate effect."
The landowner also told the BBC that the site was being used for grazing horses, although didn't rule out turning it into a settlement in the future.