Fury as villagers feel frozen out of council meeting talks

meetings to take a scheme forward which will have a profound effect on their community.The discontent is brewing over plans for the £4 million Abermule Bulking Recycling Facility, which has been put forward by Powys County Council.

This week members will meet officers from Dyfed-Powys Police and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to review the management and operation of the site.

This week, Powys County Council (PCC) which is behind the Abermule Bulking Recycling Facility scheme will meet with officers from Dyfed-Powys Police and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to review the management and operation of the site.

In July, villagers were told that they should take up any issues or fears that conditions are being breached at the site, with the police.

They claim that endangered species such as Great Crested Newts could be back on the site.

Mark Pearce, of Abermule CommunitiesTogether (ACT), said: “We feel that there should be a representative from the village there.We’ve been told it’s a meeting for statutory consultees only, we have a member of Abermule and Llandyssil Community Council who is available and willing to attend. The community council is a statutory consultee.”

Mr Pearce said that evidence that has been collected needed to be looked at by police and NRW so that the villagers know that their concerns are being taken seriously.

Abermule and Llandyssil Community Councillor, Martin Aymes, added: “At meetings PCC council leader Cllr Rosemarie Harris (Independent- Llangynidr)  said they would keep in touch and consult with the residents.”

A spokesperson for PCC said the meeting was not open to the public and added: “The council is holding a review meeting for the Abermule project which includes the council’s ecologist, NRW and Dyfed Powys Police’s wildlife crime officer.

“The meeting is being held to review management and operation of the site.”

A spokesperson for NRW said: “Looking after Wales’ rare plants and animals is a huge part of the work we do.

“Because of this, we will be attending the meeting to discuss the local wildlife and the general ecology around the site.”

In May the PCC cabinet voted unanimously in favour of the £4 million project, going against advice it had received by councillors at a Full Council meeting.

PCC has stressed  that the facility is to help the authority deal with hitting the Welsh Government recycling targets of 70 per cent by 2024/25.

It believes the recycling bulking facility is “essential to maximise the efficiency” of the collection vehicles and is “ideally located between the two main population centres of North Powys,” Welshpool and Newtown.