Welshpool Town Council is to lead the fight against Powys County Council plans to close or downgrade household waste recycling centres in Powys.
The town’s planning committee has voted unanimously to oppose the plans announced this week and will call a public meeting in November.
The council has written to Powys County Council opposing any changes to the centres in Welshpool and Newtown and is also contacting all local town and community councils in Montgomeryshire which would be affected by the proposals.
Powys County Council has announced a full consultation on options to save money by reducing the number or opening hours of the household waste recycling centres at Welshpool and Newtown.
At Wednesday night’s meeting of the town council planning committee Councillor Graham Breeze, chairman of the council services and property committee, proposed the council’s opposition to any service reduction.
Councillor Breeze said the recommendations were “flawed and panic measures” and the Mayor Councillor Steve Kaye said “Powys has to look elsewhere for savings.”
The Town Council will also call on Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies and Assembly Member Russell George to support their objections to the scheme and is to invite Powys County Council to attend the public meeting in the Town Hall next month.
Powys County Council is to carry out a full consultation on the following options:
· Reduce opening days at all sites to three per week to include Saturday, Sunday and one weekday (saving up to £140k)
· Close one HWRC site in Montgomeryshire or Brecknockshire (saving up to £350k)
· Close one HWRC site and reduce opening days at the remaining sites (saving £462k)
· Close two HWRC sites to leave one in each shire (saving £700k).
· Close two HWRCs and reduce opening days at the remaining sites (saving £784k)
· There is also the potential to charge for some wastes not classed as household, such as soil and rubble, plasterboard and other DIY waste (saving £50,000).