Ystrad Mynach sports field contamination fears after sewer floods
There are contamination fears after sports fields in an "overdeveloped" town were flooded with sewage four times in as many months.
By Caleb SpencerBBC News Penallta RFC are opposing Caerphilly council's plans to uproot the club and move it across Ystrad Mynach to make room for a major school redevelopment. The club said it was "massively concerned" after a sewer at proposed replacement fields overflowed. The council said "appropriate works" would be carried out at the site. Caerphilly council has been consulting on plans to expand Trinity Fields School in Ystrad Mynach, which would see 450-member Penallta RFC lose its main pitch and the town lose yet another sports field. The plans for the school, which provides for children with special educational needs, include a new building extension and outdoor play space. The matter is due to go before the education scrutiny committee on 22 March before senior councillors make a final decision. The council, which owns Trinity Fields, has maintained that its preferred option to mitigate the loss of the field -providing the club with pitches at Sue Noake Leisure Centre - is fair. But the club, which plays in the WRU League 1 East, has shared "worrying images" of flooding at Sue Noake fields on four occasions since December, with the latest incident on Wednesday. Welsh Water, Natural Resources Wales and Caerphilly council have all confirmed the overflow of a sewer at the site. In February, the council issued a statement saying it had "no concerns of this being a regular occurrence". But a club spokesman said: "The council think it's okay to take the risk to put our children and other clubs' children on contaminated ground. "We have already had parents contact us asking 'are we serious, our children have got to play on this? That won't happen'. "The fear is that the club breaks up and we really don't want that to happen." Matthew Tucker, former Penallta RFC player and coach, previously said large developments in the past 20 years, including the police station and hospital, had seen the last of the town's football and cricket clubs fold. "The last development resulted in us moving here in 2007, and again we find ourselves in the situation where we could potentially lose another field," he added. Local councillor Martyn James, who has lived in Ystrad Mynach for over 40 years, said he believes the top 1ft (30cm) of soil is now contaminated and "needs to be taken away". "Nobody is against the school. All we want is somewhere fit to play rugby on," he added. Welsh Water apologised and said an ongoing survey had revealed damage to a pipe by "a third party" which was allowing stream water to enter the network, "placing additional pressure on the sewer, particularly during heavy rain". It has now been repaired and a "full clean up" of the area had been carried out on each occasion, a spokeswoman added. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it does not believe the sewage has entered the nearby Rhymney River, but its officers are "investigating additional reports which suggest this". Donna Littlechild, environmental team leader for NRW, said it would "determine what further action needs to be taken" after the Welsh Water investigation is complete. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said it was "involved in discussions with all parties on this issue to try to find a satisfactory resolution for the whole community". A WRU spokeswoman added: "We're supporting Penallta [RFC] as a member club and will continue to offer support and guidance wherever possible, including access to a sports turf consultant to provide a report on the condition of the pitches if required." A Caerphilly council spokesman said Trinity Fields School supports "some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our community". He said its preferred option would result in "a net gain in sporting facilities" in the town, adding works would be carried out at Sue Noake "before any development proceeds".