Residents of Neath Port Talbot had the chance to speak directly with two of the UK’s most senior politicians this week, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan toured key sites in the county to see how communities are responding to industrial change.
The visit began at the former Dyffryn Rhondda Colliery in the Upper Afan Valley, where Neath Port Talbot Council is leading a major coal tip safety project. The Chancellor met with Council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt, Cabinet Member Cllr Jeremy Hurley, and contractors from Walters UK to view progress on stabilising the site — part of a wider £143 million UK Government investment in coal tip safety.
Later, the Chancellor and First Minister visited the Opportunity Hub in Port Talbot’s Aberafan Shopping Centre, where they met local people seeking work — including those affected by the closure of blast furnaces at Tata Steelworks, currently transitioning to a cleaner Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) model.
Staff from NPT Employability and the Trailblazer Programme shared how they’re helping residents retrain and upskill for long-term employment. The UK Government has committed £10 million to support this pilot initiative in Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent and Denbighshire.
The Chancellor also spoke with former steelworkers supported by the Employment and Skills Fund, set up by the Tata Steel Transition Board to help those impacted by the shift to greener steel production.
Cllr Steve Hunt said:
“We’re glad to see the Chancellor taking a first-hand look at the issues we’re facing here in Neath Port Talbot — from the dangerous legacy of the mining industry to job losses due to changes at Tata Steel. This council is working hard with its partners to mitigate these problems and we welcome the funding that is so essential for us as we move to a cleaner, greener future.”
