Controversial waste plans move forward

Powys County Council will hold a community open evening next month at the North Powys Bulking Facility in Abermule as it looks to expand operations at the site - a development likely to reignite long-running local opposition. 

On the edge of the village, the facility has been one of the county’s most contentious infrastructure projects in recent years. Residents say it is the wrong site due to its proximity to homes, the primary school, and a nearby busy road. Demonstrations, petitions, and packed public meetings became regular features in Abermule during the planning and construction stages.

Despite the opposition, the council pressed ahead and the site became operational in September 2023, handling kerbside recycling from across north Powys.

Now the council plans to go further. At the open evening on Tuesday, 2 September, between 5pm and 7pm, officers will outline proposals to start accepting residual waste - the black bin and purple bag rubbish that cannot be recycled - before it is transported to treatment facilities.

The council says the change is about cost and efficiency. Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys, Councillor Jackie Charlton, said: “Currently residual waste from the north of the county is taken to a third-party transfer station at a considerable cost as well as resulting in additional travelling time and carbon emissions. By utilising the site to its full potential, we can reduce costs and minimise our carbon footprint.”

She stressed that the facility already has an environmental permit from Natural Resources Wales, allowing for both recyclable and residual waste to be stored under strict controls. The council maintains that the expansion would not alter how the site operates and would have no additional impact on the community.