MACHYNLLETH councillors will hold “urgent talks” with Powys council over plans to halt free waste collections from the town’s Wednesday market.

Powys council said it will no longer collect black bag waste from the popular market and has asked the town council to pick up the tab for green trade sacks which the county council would then collect.

Machynlleth councillors, however, say that the cost of the bags - some of which they would have to pass on to traders - should not have to be picked up by the town council.

Members heard at a meeting last Monday that Powys council will “no longer provide the service free of charge” from the end of this month.

Cllr Rhydian Mason said: “Powys council has to acknowledge the excellent revenue it makes in the car park from Wednesdays and factor that into their thinking.

“The money the council makes there is down to the excellent efforts of this town council and the market traders.”

He added: “We need to make our case that they make a lot of money on Wednesdays and to charge us for the waste of the market is unfair.”

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