The next item is a debate by an individual Member under Standing Order 11.21(v), historic industrial infrastructure. I call on David Rees to move the motion.

Motion NDM7143 David Rees, Vikki Howells, Leanne Wood

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the rich and diverse network of historic industrial infrastructure across Wales.

2. Notes the economic, regeneration and integrated transport potential of re-opening disused railway lines and tunnels across Wales. 

3. Recognises the practical and financial challenges of bringing such infrastructure back into use.

4. Calls upon the Welsh Government to seek ownership of such infrastructure which would aid funding opportunities to be sought.

5. Calls on the UK and Welsh Governments to play its part in exploring the practical opportunities for re-opening such infrastructure across Wales. 

Motion moved.

An audio-visual presentation was shown to accompany the debate.

Diolch, Llywydd. And I move the motion in my name and in the names of Leanne Wood and Vikki Howells. I apologise before I start for my voice—unfortunately, as you might have guessed, I've not been so well lately, but we'll move on.

Now, Wales is a nation with a great history. And we have many buildings from medieval times that reflect that history—whether it be the many castles that remain visible, or the many religious sites across our country. But we move on a few hundred years and we also have a vast and wondrous industrial heritage, especially from a time when Wales was a driver of major exports such as coal, copper, iron, steel. But it's not only the buildings that produced those exports—the mines and the ironworks, et cetera—that remind us of that industrial past, but also the infrastructure that was put in place to allow those products to be transported. Now, some of that infrastructure is still visible. For example, in my own constituency, we can see the huge arches of the railway viaduct and those of the aqueduct, both in Pontrhydyfen, or the seven arches of the bridge in Cymmer. I'm sure many Members this afternoon, when they speak, will highlight such structures and buildings within their own constituencies. And we all know some of them, whether the Pontcysyllte aqueduct, Big Pit, or the ironworks in Merthyr. But, as well as the visible aspects of our industrial heritage, many of which have been restored and re-established for tourism or walking and cycling, there are many aspects of our industrial heritage that are invisible—mines that have been closed, disused railway lines where the rails have been removed, canals that have become overgrown, and a vast network of tunnels, as well as other infrastructure that once carried the riches of Wales to our ports of distribution across the world. 

The decline of our industrial past took its toll on these across Wales, and in particular in the south Wales Valleys. Add to that the actions taken following the Beeching report in the 1960s, which saw a reduction in the route network and restructuring of the railways across the UK—and that was not popular, remember, because many protests actually resulted in saving some of those stations and lines, but the majority were closed as planned, and Beeching's name remains associated with the mass closure of railways and the loss of many local services in that period that followed. Now, a few of these routes have since reopened. Some short sections have been preserved as heritage railways—the Gwili railway, the Brecon Mountain railway, to name a few in Wales—Colwyn railway, Llangollen. Others have been incorporated into cycling and walking networks, and the remainder have either been returned to their own natural farmland or they remain derelict.

Now, one of those lines affected by the Beeching cuts was the Swansea bay to the Rhondda line. When operational, this route ran through my constituency, from Briton Ferry, which maybe people don't realise was a huge port at one point, going through Port Talbot and Aberavon up the Afan valley, where it branched off to many other routes. Now, these routes often required numerous tunnels, allowing them to travel up the valley and between valleys. The majority are now disused and closed off, including the Gelli tunnel, the Gilfach tunnel, the Cymmer to Caerau tunnel, and one of the longest tunnels in the UK, the Rhondda tunnel, running between Blaengwynfi and Blaencwm, and on the screens you will see a rolling picture of some of the aspects of that particular tunnel. Now, that railway line allowed us to join the railway lines in the Rhondda valley. And therefore it's industrial infrastructure across Wales that we need to see it as an opportunity to be ambitious for the future. We should not lose sight of what these infrastructures actually offer us. 

Now, my remaining contribution this afternoon will focus upon these hidden gems, and, in particular, the Rhondda tunnel, which can offer opportunities for local communities to benefit from their regeneration. And the Rhondda tunnel is 3,443 yards long, or just under 2 miles, 1,000 feet below the ground at its deepest, with a 58 ft ventilation shaft. And it was a massive piece of work, and actually I was dropped down into the tunnel through that ventilation shaft, and you can see the actual fantastic Victorian engineering that built that. That was built between 1885 and 1890, officially opened in 1890, and a critical component of that line, connecting mines of the Rhondda to the ports and Swansea bay. It also became a route for passengers as well, later on in life. So, we had an opportunity, as time went on, not only to have an industrial line, but also a passenger line, to allow that connection between the two communities. The railway line was actually dual line—if you know much about railways—but the tunnel itself was a single line and dual at either portal. 

Now, unfortunately, in 1968 the decision was taken to close the tunnel temporarily, as there was work needed to repair it. But, in December 1970, the Department for Transport made a decision to close that tunnel permanently, citing the costs of repair as prohibitive—strange how it actually coincided with the closure of both the Blaengwynfi and Blaenrhondda stations as part of the Beeching cuts. We can only assume that it just happened to be coincidental. So, that happened, and, in 1980, as a consequence, both portals were closed and blocked off to prevent unauthorised intrusions. Because we know they have to be protected, because many children tend to walk into places like tunnels as an exciting experience and we need to ensure we protect them and safeguard them. 

Now, we're almost 130 years on from when that tunnel was opened. It is the longest disused tunnel in Wales, and the Rhondda Tunnel Society—I know some of the members are in the gallery this afternoon—have established themselves and have a vision—a vision, Deputy Minister, which I share with them; a vision that will see the Rhondda tunnel preserved for our children's future, which will reconnect the Afan valley and the Rhondda Fawr for pedestrians and cyclists, and not just for people in the two valleys, but for people from elsewhere and further afield.  

Will the Member give way? 

Yes. 

Can I just join him in commending the work of all those people who've put the time and effort into the Rhondda tunnel and getting that reopened? We know the progress that's been made, but how much more is still to be done. But I'd also welcome, on the back of that—and I'm sure they would, the Rhondda tunnel people themselves—in the future, the reopening of what is known in engineering circles as the Maesteg tunnel—the Cymmer to Caerau tunnel. And the fascinating thing with that tunnel is that it was done in two different ways. The Caerau end was totally different to the Cymmer end. The Cymmer end was dynamite, which cost the lives of 11 men, but the Caerau end was actually done by the sort of technology that was used then in the Channel tunnel and elsewhere, by a machine that bored the hole. So, there are good, historical reasons to actually open these tunnels as well, as well as what it could do for cycling and recreation.

Can I thank my colleague the Member for Ogmore for highlighting the various tunnels that exist? The Caerau to Cymmer one is one of the ones, clearly, I mentioned earlier. It is one of the tunnels in the Valleys that have been looked at very carefully. You highlighted the point that, in fact, it's not just about what we can do when we regenerate those tunnels, but it's also reminding ourselves of the history of those tunnels and the techniques and technology that were used in developing them.

Now, the ability to offer an experience that will allow people to use existing cycling and walking infrastructure—and the Member actually talked about, in his 90-second statement, cycling today—we should grab hold of that vision and opportunity. For the Afan valley, it would include encouraging cyclists to travel further down the valley—down to the fabulous 3-mile-long beach we've got, and Margam park, and if they're really adventurous, they could cycle along the Swansea bay area, all the way to Mumbles. But it provides an opportunity we need to seriously take hold of. The opportunities are endless, the possibilities are bountiful, and this project can breathe new life into a valley whose people often feel cut off and forgotten about. 

I and many others envision the tunnel being the focal point of cycling events and running events, and there have been examples of these happening: Bath tunnels have been one of these cases, where we've seen them being used as a focal point for 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and full marathons. It's not just simply an opportunity to walk through them or cycle through them. They could be used for other events, which bring more into the community. The Richard Burton 10K, which I'll promote—it's on 3 November, by the way, if you want to try it—we get over 1,000 runners into my village on that day, and they stay. And this is an opportunity, again, to look at what it can bring into the Rhondda and Afan valleys. People stay for those visits. So, it's not simply about restoring a tunnel; it's about offering a new vision and a new experience for local people and visitors. I've seen the figures on Bath, and they are phenomenal. But for the wider community, the benefits of people taking part in these events could invigorate the local economy—activity that was severely impacted on following the closure of the mines, which, at that point, provided so much employment to those living in those communities.

There are always challenges to building a vision around our industrial heritage, but in this case, one of the biggest challenges is as a result of the ownership of this and other tunnels. This has currently halted any further development of the Rhondda tunnel. I've written to the Minister as well as raising the matter of ownership here in the Chamber on numerous occasions, and we're no closer to resolving the matter today than we were three years ago. I am grateful for the funding from Welsh Government, and it's already made an important impact on that project. However, without ownership of the tunnel being transferred from the Department for Transport to Wales, this may have all been in vain. Further funding from other sources—and I'm not asking for Welsh Government funding—to complete the work cannot be sought until the ownership has been addressed.

I understand that the Welsh Government is concerned about the liabilities that will be placed at their door. However, you've got to remember that, at the moment, this tunnel is closed off. There are no liabilities, hardly, if a mountain falls in on it with nobody inside it. So, there's not much really to worry about at this point in time. Now, in a letter to myself and my colleague Stephen Kinnock MP, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, who is a transport Minister in London for roads and security, states that the Under-Secretary of State for transport in 2017 wrote to the Welsh Government, stating that the Secretary of State would be willing to transfer the tunnel to Welsh Government ownership and pay the sum of £60,000 to reflect savings for future survey costs—an offer that, I am told, is still open to the Welsh Government. So, the options to explore funding to reopen the tunnel may be explored and we need to very seriously look at this.

Let us have the longest cycle tunnel in Europe—the second longest in the world—open to cyclists and pedestrians, not only for active travel and not only for tourism, but to revitalise our valleys and make Cardiff easily accessible to people in the Afan valley, because at the moment, they have to go to Maesteg and catch the Maesteg train. Wouldn't it be nice if they could cycle through the tunnel and catch a train in Treherbert? Let's be forward thinking and share the vision that I and the Rhondda Tunnel Society have, and many others. Let's have ambition. Deputy Minister, today's debate is an opportunity for you to share a vision with us, a vision to revitalise communities across Wales, to share in the desire of my community, the Afan valley, to see the tunnel open for tourism, economic development and employment. Let's be forward thinking. Let's take a little risk. Let us be ambitious. Let's talk about a gem in the Afan valley for future generations to enjoy and appreciate the history of our industrial past. 

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

North Wales is blessed with a rich and diverse network of historic industrial infrastructure. The too-often-forgotten heroes in local groups striving to maximise the economic and social regeneration this represents deserve recognition and support. They battle daily with the practical and financial challenges of bringing such infrastructure back into community use. Instead of Welsh Government ownership, they seek real partnership with Governments in exploring and delivering the practical opportunities for reopening such infrastructure.

The Pontcysyllte aqueduct is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest canal aqueduct in the world. After it was awarded world heritage status in 2009, the Welsh Government then said it was creating a working group to establish north-east Wales as a joined-up visitor destination around the aqueduct, with the third sector represented by Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal and River Trust. We're still waiting a decade later, and other third sector heritage groups tell me that they've not been engaged.

Speaking here last year, I referred to the Channel 4 screening of the final episode of the Great Rail Restorations series, promoting the wonderful railway setting between Llangollen and Carrog, but now going to Corwen as well, and the efforts of all those on the voluntary trust there involved. As I then said, we still need a joined-up tourism offer, with through ticketing enabling regional visitors to extend their stays and have the fantastic time we know they can have. 

Llangollen Railway have repeatedly said they'd like to embark on joint ticketing with the bus companies and other railways in their area. Their through ticketing proposals also relate to wider destination management and to destination offers that develop visitor experience by partnering with other venues and industrial heritage attractions in the region. Llangollen Railway are one of the biggest employers in the area and the only standard gauge heritage railway in north Wales. They're extending the line to Corwen and building a new station there as their western terminus, which will help both open up Corwen town to many more visitors and help local people travel between Llangollen and Corwen. This project has been entirely volunteer led with professional support as and when required. 

The Glyn valley tramway was a narrow gauge railway connecting Chirk with Glyn Ceiriog and the Glyn valley tramway trust are working towards a recreation of the tramway from Chirk. Speaking here in 2014, and again last year, I called on the Welsh Government to consider supporting the reopening of the rail line from Gaerwen to Llangefni as a heritage connection. Last month, I visited Welsh Slate in Bethesda, which dates back over 400 years. I've worked for many years with Brymbo heritage group and trust, which works to promote the industrial history of Brymbo and adjacent areas and develop the site as a visitor attraction, including the ironworks' core buildings and Brymbo fossil forest. 

Shotton Point represents an important part of the heritage of Deeside, particularly in relation to steel making. The Victorian Society included the former office building of John Summers steelworks, including its iconic grade II listed clock tower, on its 2018 top 10 endangered buildings list. I recently visited the non-profit Enbarr foundation in Queensferry to discuss their exciting Shotton Point John Summers site project, bringing local people, businesses and community organisations together to plan, develop and build the future of the site.

The area between Wrexham and Mold, where I live, was once the site of many collieries. The Llay miners heritage centre is dedicated to telling the story of the coal-mining history in north-east Wales. North East Wales Heritage Forum celebrates, conserves and promotes the region's rich heritage, and I attended their Wrexham heritage fair on 27 July. The Romans mined lead at Halkyn, sandstone was quarried at Gwespyr and industrial initiatives centred on the Greenfield valley, ranging from copper to cotton, are an exemplar of the industrial revolution. I commend the guided heritage walks through Greenfield valley and visits to its heritage park. I also attended Northop Heritage Group's history day on 21 September, which ranged from coaching routes to brick making, in Buckley.

Later this month, Theatr Clwyd's performances of the Mold riots 150 years ago will remember the social unrest after two coal miners were sentenced to prison for attacking the manager of Leeswood Green colliery, which influenced the future of policing of public disturbances across Great Britain. Taking all this together, it is now time for Welsh Government to turn words into action by bringing all this people power together to unlock the potential for regional industrial heritage-led regeneration. Thank you. 

It's not often that I agree entirely with something from Members from other political parties, but this is one of those occasions. I would also like to place on record my support for opening the Abernant tunnel in the Cynon valley, and any other tunnel in Wales that would prove beneficial for the local communities that it would serve. 

As a Member for the Rhondda, I'm sure you would expect me to focus on that constituency for the rest of my contribution. There are undoubted positive impacts that the tunnel between Blaencwm and Blaengwynfi could have for the Rhondda. When the Rhondda Tunnel Society was formed in 2014, their determination, enthusiasm and momentum were admirable. I'm a member of the Rhondda Tunnel Society, so I must declare an interest as well as declare my staunch support for the society in this debate. 

While much has been achieved in the time that they've been set up, their efforts have been hampered by this question of ownership. I've got letters going back more than three years, asking the Welsh Government to take responsibility for this asset so that the project can move to the next stage, and I can't tell you how frustrating it is that this matter has not been resolved as we approach 2020. I know that that frustration is shared by the very patient and forgiving members of the Rhondda Tunnel Society. 

The members of the society are not looking for a blank cheque from the Welsh Government or any admission of liability. They are more than willing to accept any arrangement that absolves the Welsh Government of financial expense just so that they can have the tunnel back where it belongs, in Welsh hands. This will allow them, then, to apply for grants and funding from other sources. Without this ownership matter resolved, we remain in a deadlock. 

We know that there's no obstruction coming from England over the tunnel's ownership. I established three years ago that they had no objections to giving back the tunnel to Wales. I also understand that correspondence was sent to the Welsh Government in 2017 from the UK Department for Transport offering ownership of the Rhondda tunnel and £60,000 to reflect savings to that department in survey costs. The UK Department for Transport are still waiting for a reply to that offer. So, I really hope we can end the stalling now and make some progress. 

The Rhondda tunnel could be the catalyst for the cycle infrastructure that we've been crying out for in the Rhondda Fawr for years. It would help promote activity, thus tackling the obesity epidemic that we face as a society. It would also facilitate car-free local journeys, helping us to fulfil our responsibility to reduce the carbon that we emit into the atmosphere. It has the potential to be a big draw for tourists—not just cyclists, but also walkers. Just imagine the boost that this could provide for local businesses. Other countries have maximised their cycle tourism, and it's time that Wales did the same. So, whilst the last three years have been something of a wasted opportunity as far as the ownership question is concerned, it's not too late to see this project succeed. Let's grasp the opportunity that is presented to us from the legacy of our industrial past and put it to good use. 

I'm so pleased to have been able to have co-tabled today's motion, tabled in the name of my colleague the AM for Aberavon and also co-tabled with Leanne Wood. Both David Rees and Leanne Wood have been real champions of the Rhondda tunnel, and I thank them for their support for my call for the Abernant tunnel, and also to members of the Rhondda Tunnel Society who have offered their expertise and all sorts of advice to us in the Cynon Valley regarding that too. 

I want to spend the bulk of my time talking about the Abernant tunnel that connects Cwmbach to Merthyr or, as it is known locally, the Merthyr tunnel. This former railway tunnel, designed by Brunel, was part of the Vale of Neath Railway and is one strand, one branch, of the rich network of historic industrial infrastructure that we enjoy in Wales. Indeed, for 110 years, the main role of this amazing structure was to export coal from the Aberdare area to meet demand further afield. This reminds us of one of the negative aspects of that heritage, and of the industrial revolutions themselves: the precious mineral deposits, the struggle and toil of working men, the natural environment, all exploited for the enrichment of the few.

However, as the second point of the motion sets out, reopening these tunnels could provide opportunities for real, lasting benefits for the many, firstly, in terms of integrated transport and active travel opportunities. The walking and cycling charity, Sustrans, did a piece of work looking at the 21 disused railway tunnels in south-east Wales. They found that the Abernant tunnel scored highest under the Sustrans route assessment and transport evaluation tool.

As the Deputy Minister knows, this is their mechanism for evaluating the potential of walking and cycling schemes. And as Sustrans noted, it could provide a direct, traffic-free active travel route from Aberdare to Merthyr, and this is something that we don’t have at present. Indeed, I know of many constituents who cycle alongside the A465 Heads of the Valleys road as there is no real alternative, partly on a cycle path and partly on a rough grass verge in order to commute to work. So, the potential is there.

It has, as the Sustrans report says, the highest potential of all the routes analysed to encourage modal shift by encouraging commuting. It was just today that my colleague, the AM for Ogmore, Huw Irranca-Davies, noted that since the advent of the active travel Act in Wales, we've actually seen a decline in people walking and cycling. I see these tunnels as really being a catalyst that could turn that around and bring the active travel Act to life. 

It could boost health and well-being, as other colleagues in this debate have noted, especially amongst children and older people too. The tunnel itself connects with a series of footpaths that are very well used on the Cwmbach side already for cycling, walking and dog walking, and also on the Merthyr side the path links very closely to BikePark Wales. So, there are tourist opportunities there as well, and the practical benefits that it would bring to linking in areas of high deprivation and population density.

The Sustrans report also suggested that the tunnel was in a very viable condition, meaning that it would present a reasonable option in terms of cost-benefit analysis too. That's something that I saw for myself when I was treated to a tour of the tunnel alongside my colleague, the AM for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, Dawn Bowden. The tunnel, which is gated at either end, as you may have seen in some of the images that were shown earlier, has been really well maintained, with over £100,000 of investment in the interior to make sure that it is in a safe and viable condition.

In this regard, it gives me the chance to pay tribute to the work of Hammond ECS Ltd. They're a specialist structural maintenance company who are actually based in the village of Cwmbach in my constituency. They have a key role to play, this family-run business, in ensuring that not only the Abernant tunnel, but also the rest of the network—which, as we know, is currently owned by Highways England—has been kept in a suitable condition, because they hold the contracts to do just that. 

This, for me, is another important strand of the argument in favour of repurposing the tunnels, for not only would opening these tunnels offer transport opportunities, but they offer also chances for economic development and regeneration, as the motion mentions, and business opportunities for companies like Hammond ECS, companies employing local people in skilled jobs. Sustrans, indeed, cite a figure of 0.74 jobs for every kilometre of active travel route created. When we look at other tunnels that have been converted, such as the Two Tunnels Greenway in Somerset, people have flocked from all over to celebrate their opening.

Can you wind up, please?

So, I hope that we can see progress on these ambitions and convert these symbols of nineteenth-century industrialism into one of twenty-first century sustainable prosperity.

I must say, when this debate appeared on the order paper, I was intrigued by the title of the debate and I've enjoyed the opportunity we've had this afternoon to share some of our memories, in some cases, but also our ambitions and aspirations for reinventing the communities in which we live. Because when I think about the industrial architecture or the industrial infrastructure that I grew up with, it speaks to us of who we are as a people today.

I grew up and went to school in the shadows of the Sirhowy ironworks, one of the biggest ironworks in Wales, when it was established at the end of the eighteenth century. I played rugby and football on fields in the shadows of the nine arches, which, of course, carried the Heads of the Valleys railway from Tredegar to Merthyr and then down to Abergavenny. And what it did, of course, was to tell us not just of the big, massive, global economic forces that shaped the economy of south Wales, but it also taught us about how we are linked and connected to each other. I think, in all sorts of different political debates, all too often we try to focus on those things that divide us from each other, but what our industrial infrastructure tells me is how we're all linked together. We spoke in a debate earlier in the year about how the Bryn Oer tramroad links Talybont in Breconshire with Trefil and with Tredegar, but look across a couple of Valleys into Brynmawr, and you also have the Disgwylfa tramroad, which took materials from the Llangattock quarries in Breconshire, again, in the Usk valley, to Nantyglo and which Bailey used then in making iron in creating the Nantyglo ironworks. These are important linkages that exist today. I can cycle along the Bryn Oer tramroad, I've walked along the Disgwylfa tramroad, and you can understand our history and understand who we are as a people and a community.

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to join a group of residents from Llanhilleth who had reopened somewhere called Granny's Wood. Now, the granny in question's name was Margaret Griffiths and she enabled her grandchildren, who were there last week, as it happens, to play on an area of land that had previously been the Llanhilleth quarry. If you walk down—you don't find it unless you're looking for it—from the old pithead baths to where the shafts actually were, the old pitheads down the Burma road, as they described it, that the colliers would walk up, of course, at the end of the shift, and then along the pathway that miners would walk on to and from work when the Llanhilleth pits were at their height, of course, there would have been hundreds of men walking back and forth there every day. Today, it's a peaceful and tranquil and rediscovered part of our heritage and our places, and I hope that we'll be able to look towards ensuring as part of the Valleys Regional Park that these experiences, these places, these histories and these linkages become part of who we're going to be as well.

The understanding of history, I believe, is absolutely fundamental to the future of public policy. When I think about how these different tramways, railways and roads have linked us, I also think of something else, which is a much older form of transport, of course, and that is our rivers. It hasn't been mentioned in the debate this afternoon, and our rivers, particularly in south Wales, rarely are, but if you ever speak to Councillor Malcolm Cross in Tredegar, he will talk about how he believes that the rivers of south Wales are our great neglected asset. And, do you know what? I think he's right. If you look at Vale Terrace in Tredegar, it's built facing the river because the river at that time was one of the primary forms of transport, before we used canals and—. I'll take an intervention.

Thank you for giving way, Alun. As you've mentioned rivers, as the chair of the cross-party Assembly group on waterways, it'd be remiss of me not to also mention the important role that canals have played in our history and industrial heritage. So, when you mention rivers, then perhaps you could give—actually, I'm not speaking in this today—perhaps you could give a word to our canals as well.

But you have spoken in the debate now and you have done exactly that, and I commend the Member for Monmouthshire in doing so.

But, of course, the tramways that I've described do all link down to the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal as well, and the Disgwylfa and the Llangattock tramway do link in with the wharfs down in Govilon with which he's very familiar. But I hope that, as the Government takes forward work on the Valleys taskforce, we will look again at the rivers of south Wales.

In recent years, public policy has been targeted at cleansing the water within those rivers, and rightly so; it's important. When I was growing up in Tredegar, I always considered myself lucky that the water I played in in the Sirhowy river was always brightly coloured, and nowadays I hope my own son would take a different view. But I hope, in replying to this debate, we can look again at the rivers of south Wales because our developments have, over decades and perhaps centuries, turned us away from our rivers, turned us away from the natural environment and not understood how fully that has shaped our own histories. And I think the rivers of south Wales—Malcolm Cross will tell me, and he's right—are the great undiscovered, neglected gem of our valleys.

The first Wales-only legislation for the historic environment became law in 2016, and it is an area that is of supreme importance to Wales, to our economy as well as our culture, and I take, obviously, a particular interest in my constituency of Islwyn.

Crumlin in Islwyn sits in the heart of the Gwent valleys and is the beating heart of the Valleys taskforce geography. It is a proud community with a strong industrial heritage and a strong industrial memory. The Navigation colliery in Crumlin opened in 1907 with the sinking of the mineshafts by the private mine owners Partridge, Jones and Company Limited, and it is an example of listed outstanding industrial architecture. In 1947 it was run by the National Coal Board, following nationalisation by the Attlee Labour Government, and it finally closed its doors in 1967. In the subsequent decades, this imposing edifice—. If anybody's had the luck or joy or pleasure of travelling through Crumlin on its route to Ebbw Vale, you will see a series of almost regency-styled red-brick buildings with the landmark chimney stack, now that the viaduct has gone, slowly beginning to decline into ruin, but still remaining one of the best preserved intact colliery buildings of Wales.

I welcome hugely my colleague Dai Rees and others bringing this debate to the floor of this Chamber because Crumlin is still a proud mining community that has huge economic regenerative potential to directly benefit from investment—and that's the word: 'from investment'—in its iconic, historical, industrial infrastructure. As such, I'm delighted that the transport Minister Ken Skates has confirmed that in 2020 the Ebbw Vale line that runs directly through the communities of Newbridge, Crosskeys and Risca in my constituency will serve the important Gwent city of Newport and Islwyn. And the potential reopening of the Crumlin railway station to serve this community and its attractions must, in my view, happen. We know that the opening of new railway stations is a convoluted process that is still very badly shaped and governed by UK processes, and we urgently need an ability in Wales to increase our ability to reopen stations and reuse railway lines lost to the nation from the 1960s, when the Beeching cuts devastated transport links and weakened our local economies.

So, here in Crumlin, at the Navigation colliery, dedicated bands of local men and women are committed to sustaining and bringing new life into the Navigation colliery, built to exhibition standard. It is a registered charity, working alongside the site's owner, South Wales Building Preservation Trust, to maintain and prevent deterioration of these buildings further and deliver effective renovation planning. It is made up of iconic and beautiful grade II buildings, as I've mentioned, buildings that could form the beating heart of regeneration activity within the heart of a Valleys taskforce area because the historic industrial environment and its infrastructure tell the story of Wales and tell the story of our people. They are both our legacy and our future. 

They deliver a collective memory, both fragile and precious, and we must be careful to pass on to each generation our collective memory and our cultural legacy. The reason is because we don't wish to live in the past, but because the past is part of the fabric of who we are as a people, and who we are as a nation. They tell the story of Wales, a narrative untouched in all of its glory, both good and ill, both rich and poor, of the many and of the few, and do tell the struggle of our peoples.

Crumlin, with its magnificent Navigation colliery and its famous lost viaduct and former working railway station, demands action and vision to restore them to benefit future generations, both economically, culturally, socially and for the well-being of our future generations.

I will be brief, Deputy Presiding Officer, because the part of this resolution, which I welcome, that is most important to me is the bit that talks about regaining control over some of the industrial infrastructure that we have. I particularly refer to the network that still exists on an enormous number of old railway lines all around south Wales and certainly many other parts of Wales as well. Certainly, in the Taff-Ely part of my constituency, where there was an enormous amount of residential development taking place, we know that, in reality, public transport is the only viable solution in terms of dealing with the congestion on our roads, and that needs a form of buses, but also the reopening of railway lines, and it is the reopening of railway lines that, I think, is one of the great opportunities that we actually have.

There is an old railway line that goes from Cardiff, through Creigiau, that formerly linked up into Beddau spur and then through to Llantrisant and to Pontyclun. I'm very pleased that there is a business plan that is under way, hoping to report fairly soon, that might lead to the reopening of that railway line, one of the first of these old lines to be reopened but to provide a modern solution to our public transport needs.

The key thing that occurred most when we were looking at this, and I know it's an issue that applies all over many other parts of Wales, is that we have to actually still preserve what is there, because it is rapidly disappearing. Parts of it are being encroached upon, parts of these old railway lines are being built upon in various ways, and the opportunities that we have for new railway lines, or new, bespoke routes, whether they be for active travel, whether they be for public transport, are in danger of disappearing. So, the actual mapping of these routes and ensuring the protection and ownership of these routes is fundamental, and I believe this resolution contributes towards that task.

Thank you very much. Can I now call the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters?

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I congratulate David Rees, Leanne Wood and Vikki Howells for bringing forward this debate? As their motion recognises, there is significant potential in the network of historic industrial infrastructure across Wales, in particular the old railway tunnels across the south Wales Valleys, that can serve the communities that surround them once again, providing important economic and social infrastructure.

But as the motion also notes, bringing them back into use does pose very real, practical and financial challenges. There are successful examples we can point to where the legacy of our industrial past has been harnessed to bring benefits today. The Ffestiniog railway and the Pontcysyllte aqueduct are examples of outstanding heritage assets that attract tourists and generate local employment, as well as telling the story of the past. We've recently announced funding through the Valleys Regional Park for £7 million for gateways to the Valleys Regional Park that will add to that too. Of course, these were not regenerated into the jewels they are today overnight, but as we look at other opportunities to bring the legacies of our industrial heritage back to life, we need to remember that Blaenau Ffestiniog wasn't built in a day.

Members have spoken persuasively this afternoon about the potential that the network of old railway tunnels across south Wales have as transport corridors, as Mick Antoniw has just mentioned. Other former railway lines have had a new lease of life as walking and cycling routes. The Taff trail, for example, between Brecon and Cardiff, and the Ystwyth trail, which connects Aberystwyth with Tregaron, are excellent examples.

I don't need any persuading to support the principles of the motion. Indeed, I was involved some 10 years ago in the scoping exercise that looked at the potential that these tunnels have for changing the dynamics of travelling between the Valleys. The fairly direct and flat routes that visionary engineers bored through our mountains, to carry trains in the industrial age, can help re-engineer the way we think about travel in the modern era. Even an electric bike over the Merthyr mountain may be asking a lot of most people, but a quick, direct route under it is an altogether more realistic ask—but only if the tunnels are linked up to a network of paths that connect destinations that people want to travel to. After all, active travel is about replacing car journeys with cycling and walking for everyday trips. To meet the challenge of the climate emergency, we need to replace car trips with zero or low-emission alternatives as quickly as possible.

Our priority, therefore, must be to put investment where it can have the quickest and most significant payback. Often, a mundane contraflow down a one-way street or a wider pavement may change an environment to make walking and cycling a visible option. In other cases, a harder engineering intervention like a segregated cycle path on a main road, to separate bicycles and cars, is what's needed. Having recently ridden down Cardiff's Senghenydd Road, I can testify to the dramatic impact that the segregated cycle lane being constructed there can make. I'm sure that once that route is completed, we'll see a very big increase in cycling in that part of the city.

So, we need the right infrastructure in the right places. Alongside it, we need training and promotion to bring about a culture change. As we look at the suite of interventions needed to bring this about, I'm in no doubt that the network of old tunnels has its part to play. But with limited resource, we have to prioritise. Today's motion asks the Welsh Government to take into our ownership this network of tunnels, and then to seek funding opportunities. I have to say to Members that I cannot support this approach. In my view, it is the wrong way around. Taking on the massive liabilities of these old tunnels would involve a very big investment of money and capacity at a time when our focus needs to be on getting early wins for the active travel Act. In themselves, the tunnels will not bring about modal shift, which must be our focus as we look to meet our very ambitious carbon reduction targets. They can play a part, but only in an integrated approach.

The active travel Act, which was passed by this Chamber six years ago this week, sets out an approach to creating a network of routes—

Will you take an intervention?

—which will help make active travel a realistic option for most people. Let me just finish this section and I will.

It requires councils to consult with people on routes they'd like to appear over the next 15 years across their communities, to safely connect them by foot and by bike to everyday destinations. Councils will then enshrine their desired routes onto an integrated network map, which will form the basis of future funding bids.

I give way to Bethan Sayed.

It was just on the point you were finishing off in relation to the cost. So, I'm just wondering if you have managed to have any conversations about the tunnels with the UK Government. Of course, I appreciate that just giving the cost of insurance wouldn't be enough, and that you'd need—. It's a massive liability. So, are you able to tell us if you're pursuing those conversations?

I'll come to that, if I may, as I make some progress.

So, we've now got the first set of active travel maps for our larger towns and villages, and we've got a reasonable amount of capital funding to start building and improving those routes. And as the Assembly's economy committee has pointed out, these first iterations of maps are imperfect. I'm determined that the next versions of the plans, due in early 2021, will be better and will be based on genuine engagement with people who, at the moment, might not consider getting on a bike.

The tunnels need to feature on the maps if they are active travel infrastructure, and only the Abernant tunnel features currently. But even though most of the tunnels don't have significant potential for active travel, they do, nonetheless, have real value. I want to explore how the conversion, as well as the maintenance and liabilities that will come with each, can be funded. Finding a sustainable future for industrial structures can be challenging, particularly if there's heavy pollution on the site. But we are committed to playing our part, as I know are local government. I spoke last week to Councillor Andrew Morgan, the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and he told me of the considerable work his authority has already done to explore the opening of the Rhondda tunnel, and his commitment to work with the Welsh Government and Neath Port Talbot Council to work through the practical obstacles.

Realising the potential of our historic industrial infrastructure will require different bodies to work together, and different agendas to align. Utilising the old railway tunnels, for example, has the potential to create a network of routes offering leisure and tourism opportunities, as well as regenerating an area. As chair of the Valleys taskforce, that's a potential I fully recognise. I've spoken with the Deputy Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, who is supportive of the plans to reopen the tunnels, which chime with his forthcoming action plan for tourism in Wales for the next five years, and he's confirmed to me that Visit Wales are keen to be part of any development, making the tourist case for the project. The Minister for Housing and Local Government is similarly supportive of the potential reopening of the tunnels for regeneration of communities, and the involvement of the community has been the most striking example in the excellent campaign to reopen the Rhondda tunnel. The ambition to create the longest walking and cycling route through a railway tunnel in Europe, which would become an attraction of its own, is one that we support, and we commend the Rhondda Tunnel Society for their work. And we've worked with them to look at the practicalities of opening the tunnel. We have funded work on a high-level business case for the project, as well as providing funding for the development of a new business case, an ecological assessment, and improving access to the tunnel for survey work to be undertaken. So, we have done quite a bit, but until now, no funding has been offered by either the UK Government or Highways England beyond the token sum of £60,000, which some Members mentioned with the implication this was significant. I must tell them, it really is not.

The UK Government currently holds the liability for the long-term maintenance of the tunnel. It's in their interest to transfer that liability, but they also have an obligation to set communities up to succeed in managing these assets in the future, and the paltry offer of £60,000 is a risible one. I hope they'll play their part with us, and their local councils, to make the project a success. We cannot take full responsibility for the full liability of the tunnel from Highways England, nor can we fully fund the project, and I want to make that clear to Members. [Interruption.] I'm afraid I have very little time. But we will do our bit.

In 2015 we commissioned Sustrans—if I can just finish, Dirprwy Lywydd; I've an announcement I want to make. We commissioned in 2015 Sustrans to do a desktop study of a number of tunnels in south-east Wales to explore the potential for their reopening, and I have asked Sustrans today to update that work, drawing on the work carried out on both the Rhondda and Abernant tunnels in the interim. They will also draw on local authorities' active travel network mapping and data from similar projects such as the Bath two-tunnels scheme, to get a better understanding of long-term operating and maintenance costs, which is essential before we address the issue of ownership.

There is an opportunity to build a close partnership with the Valleys Regional Park partners, local authorities, and tourism, heritage and leisure partners to explore the potential for reopening the structures. I'm particularly interested in the lessons we can learn from the experience of reopening the 1 mile Combe Down tunnel near Bath in 2013. That project was led by Sustrans and involved a significant amount of lottery funding to reopen it. I've had an initial conversation with the National Lottery Community Fund about funding a similar project in south Wales. The Minister for Housing and Local Government and the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism and I have jointly agreed to fund Sustrans to lead a partnership bid for assembling external funding for the reopening and running of the Rhondda and Abernant tunnels. Clearly, the funding would need to come from a wide range of sources and can only be achieved with a wide range of bodies working together, and this includes the community, who I pay tribute to again for championing this cause. I do believe there are practical things that we can do, Dirprwy Lywydd, to make this opportunity a real one, but it is not easy, and we cannot do it alone.

Thank you. I call David Rees to reply to the debate.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I first of all thank all those Members who contributed, and not only those Members who contributed today, but also those who have contributed in other debates on industrial heritage as well? Because you've all played an important role in highlighting how industrial heritage is important to us, and how it can help regenerate communities across Wales. Mark highlighted the many sites in north Wales that exist, which have benefited those communities, and moving on. Leanne reminded me as well I need to declare my membership of the Rhondda Tunnel Society as well, but it shows the tunnel actually affects two valleys, and how important it can be for both valleys. It's not just about active travel purely, but it's part of a mix. Active travel can play a part of it, but it’s also—. We can explore it for tourism and walking and everything else. It’s a combination of things that that tunnel offers; I’ll come back to the Rhondda tunnel towards the end when I have time.

Vikki reminded us about one thing: when we talk about our history—and a bit of the debate was about our history as well—we must never forget the negative side of that history, which was the social impact upon our communities, where we were basically plundered for wealth going to a small number. And that is also part of the history of our heritage that we want to remind people of. It isn’t just simply a, ’Hey, look at us—look at what fantastic facilities we've had.' Look at the communities and the social life they had, and the challenges they had to face up to whilst the money went to very few people. That reminds us very much of industrial heritage across south Wales and north Wales.

Alun talked about rivers. There’s no way you’re going to float down a boat on the Afan river to start with, but what he highlighted was that there are various sets of infrastructures that exist. It’s not just old railway lines—it is also canals, rivers and other forms as well, and that’s very important. But he also reminded us of one thing that we seem to have lost sight of—that our industrial heritage actually linked our communities together, very much so. And when you listen to the debate this afternoon, I think you hear that in, actually, the contributions from Members, about how it did bring those communities together and how we see that. Because Rhianon highlighted the works in Crumlin, the Navigation mine in Crumlin, and the existence of the—. Well, she highlighted, actually, how proud that community was of that building as well. So, it’s not just about reinvigorating the economy of our communities—it’s about actually reinvigorating our communities as well, bringing them back to life.

And Mick—old railway lines—showed us that we’ve been talking about railway lines and other things for, actually, different purposes. Mick wants to go back to the original purpose: put it back to railway line so we can get public transport working. And there’s nothing wrong with that—that’s exactly what we should be looking at. Because it gives—. Again, the infrastructure gives us an opportunity to use it for purposes such as that.

Can I thank the Deputy Minister for his contribution, particularly the latter end of the contribution, when he highlighted that he is intending to put, with the Deputy Minister and the Minister for housing, together a team to look at how we can actually do that work? I’m disappointed he didn’t take ownership. I understand the arguments about liability, but I’m disappointed. I would have hoped that they would look at the ownership question. But if he has come to a conclusion that they need to look very carefully at how they can support societies like the Rhondda Tunnel Society—. Because let’s remember one thing—we’ve talked about various organisations and various sites today, mainly run by volunteers, mainly driven by volunteers in their community. And therefore it is important that we look at how we can support those volunteers and those community organisations. And I very much welcome his last comments on that and how he intends to do that. And he’s quite right—it doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time. The Rhondda Tunnel Society has been going for a few years, so we’ve got some of that time already under our belt. He’s also right on the issue about active travel maps, but I am concerned that, when Sustrans looks at this, they don’t look at the existing active travel maps, because they’re not wonderful. In fact, if you look at the Afan valley one, a large section of the Afan valley cycle track is not on the active travel map, and it should be, because people use it for both leisure and for access down to work; it’s not solely for leisure. So, we need that. And he’s also right that we need to have a cultural change.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank everybody for their contributions today. This is a debate that has reminded us of our past, but the important role that past can play in our future if we have the ambition and the foresight to take it forward. Thank you very much.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Therefore, we defer voting under this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.