Meeting scheduled for controversial development

At their meeting on Wednesday night, October 7, Abermule with Llandyssil community council decided that they would discuss the pre-application consultation being held by Powys County Council (PCC) next Wednesday, October 14.

PCC wants to build nine business units at the business park which is at the edge of the village and where a bulking recycle facility is being built.

Councillor Gareth Thomas asked if it was possible to find out how the council had decided the size of the business units for the consultation, and whether that information would be available before next Wednesday’s meeting.

County councillor for Dolfor, which includes Abermule, Gareth Pugh (Conservative) pointed out that PCC was having to build the units “speculatively” because of how the grant funding from the Welsh Government is set up.

“I can ask the question, but it’s very much like looking at a crystal ball ,” said Councillor Pugh.

Community council chair Councillor Jane Rees said: “We did notice that the plans have been revised, they are smaller than they were in the draft plan we had.

“They have been shrunk to allow more room for lorries.”

'Rougher trades'

Villagers who are part of campaign group Abermule Communities Together (ACT) have said that they would like to see artisan-type units that would encourage small craft businesses to go there.

At the meeting Councillor Alan Meredith-Jones brought up this idea for discussion.

Councillor Pugh said: “That is not going to happen.

“They have tourists there and I think Corris was mentioned, we can forget that sort of idea.

“That estate has already been downgraded by putting the bulking facility in there, we are going to be looking at the rougher trades.”

Councillor Gary Orrells added: “We have to be realistic about who we expect will take on a premises there next to a recycling plant.

“In an ideal world we’d all love the Hilltop Honey of Clogau Gold, but that’s not going to happen.

“We are completely different to Corris and the clientele we can attract.”

Food for thought

Councillor Orrells said that Corris was a UNESCO site and that “attracted money to the area.”

He added: “We haven’t a hope of attracting those small niche businesses in to Abermule.

“We need to go down the light industry route to fill them.”

Councillor Rees added: “It’s food for thought for next Wednesday.”

The pre-application consultation runs until October 26.

Next Wednesday, it is expected that most of the councillors will be part of a socially distanced, prior appointment meeting at Abermule Community Centre, while others will be able to take part or watch remotely.

A planning application to build 32 homes at land next to The Meadows, and a variation application for Nant y Waun, Llanmerwig, will also discussed at the meeting.