Town Council wants Powys to come clean on £700,000 spend

Welshpool Town Council wants Powys County Council to come clean on plans to cut household waste recycling centres in North Powys.

The Town Council is objecting to any reductions to the recycling centres anywhere in Powys and wants to know why a consultation document issued by the county authority does not include information about a planned £700,000 spend on new facilities.

The council will also hold a public meeting in the Town Hall on November 22 and is inviting Powys County Council, Glyn Davies MP and Russell George AM to attend.

Councillor Graham Breeze told Wednesday night’s Welshpool Town Council meeting that Powys County Council had agreed to bring money forward into the 2016/17 budget to purchase a new recycling centre in North Powys.

“The council has agreed to go-ahead with spending £700,000 to buy and develop an entirely new household waste recycling centre somewhere in Montgomeryshire,” said Councillor Breeze.

“Why has the public not been told of this plan? But more importantly why is this information not clearly indicated in the consultation document which has just been released which is based on saving £700,000?

“We are being completely misled by Powys County Council. What is the point of a consultation? It is a complete and utter waste of time because they are ploughing ahead with their own plans already regardless of what anyone else thinks.”

The Town Council has written to all other local community councils affected by the plans and will raise the issue at a Local Council Forum meeting on Monday.

Councillors Phil Pritchard, David Senior and the Mayor Steve Kaye also voiced strong opposition to any moves to cut recycling services in Welshpool at Wednesday night’s meeting