MACHYNLLETH Town Council’s efforts to provide a bulky waste collection service for the Dyfi Valley are being frustrated by Powys County Council, councillors have said.

The town council has been in contact with a number of community councils in the area with the view to paying the county council to provide the fortnightly service, which was controversially withdrawn following its introduction to minimise the effect of the closure of Potters Yard in January 2015.

But the town council has been told that the cost would be £1,600 per Saturday collection.

The town council queried the cost with the county council and sought further clarification, but councillors say they have been left disappointed by the response of the responsible Cabinet member.

Cllr Phyl Davies, member for Blaen Hafren, near Llanidloes, and Cabinet member for property and waste, only said that he would need to “drill down into the costs” before providing more accurate costs, councillors heard last week.

Cllr Davies said calculations of the costs would take into account four members of council staff working a seven-hour working day, national insurance contributions for the staff, “time taken to travel to and from Machynlleth from Newtown depot”, and vehicle ‘wear-and-tear’ costs.

Cllr Ann MacGarry said: “We can’t move on with vague figures like that. We can’t make a decision unless we have more definite figures.”

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