Welshpool Town Council 'big enough to save threatened services'
A town council which claims to run more services than any other local authority in Powys says it is big enough to "save" more threatened services for residents.
Welshpool Town Council already runs its town hall, markets, tourist information centre, public toilets and six playgrounds.
Councillor Malcolm Douglass, town mayor, said he believed the council is now large enough to progress on its own.
It comes after community and town councils in the county were asked to "cluster" to come together to run services.
Councillor Douglas said the council already delivers more services than any other town or community council in Powys – and probably even Wales.
He said: "Welshpool Town Council has through the Local Council Forum worked with Powys County Council to encourage local community councils to cluster together to deliver services which are to be devolved from the county to aid their budget savings programme.
"The reason for the exercise was that Powys County Council cannot deal effectively with 110 town and community councils, hence the request to deal with larger towns and clusters.
"Welshpool Town Council has worked hard to aid this process over the last year. Welshpool set its own timescale with regard to any council who wanted to cluster with Welshpool due to the town council being well advanced with service delivery negotiations with Powys County Council and being a pilot scheme bringing forward dates when Welshpool needs to respond.
"The exercise is now completed and has been reasonably successful with a number of councils working with Llanfyllin, a group in the north east and a group around Montgomery. The more rural councils have found more common ground between with councils of a similar size.
"There are a number of councils which have not made a decision to cluster together and that is a shame as it maybe to the detriment of the residents of their area in due course."
Other services which the council runs include the country park, flower beds and open spaces, CCTV, meals on wheels, motte and bailey castle, the station car park, signage, town maps, Welshpool Air Show, the carnival, Christmas lights, sculptures, consultations (including planning and development), station car park, war memorial and gardens, allotments, winter festival and other local events.
