MACHYNLLETH residents will be “extremely annoyed” to see another bulk recycling facility open in Powys, more than two years after the closure of the town’s facility.

Powys council closed the popular Potters Yard in Machynlleth in January 2015 after arguing that at £230,000 to £430,000 a year, it was “too expensive” to run, leaving residents unhappy about having to travel to Aberystwyth to reach their nearest centre.

And now, despite heavy local opposition, including fears about flooding and the size of the building, approval has been given to a new bulk recycling facility at Abermule, near Newtown.

The new facility will replace an existing one in Newtown, but Machynlleth residents will still be left without any bulk recycling facilities of any kind.

A replacement weekend bulky waste collection service, which was introduced to minimise the effect of the loss of Potters Yard, was also ended two years ago, leaving residents with the option of a 60-mile round trip to Newtown, or a £25 fee to have up to three items collected.

Residents have been left with “no option” but to travel to recycling centres in other counties, at Aberystwyth or Dolgellau, to dispose of their items free of charge, Cllr Mike Williams said.

“It still rankles with people that Potters Yard was closed, and now we do not even have the replacement service,” Cllr Williams said.

“It is extremely annoying for myself and my constituents, who tell me that it feels like money is being taken from Machynlleth and being used in other areas of Powys.

“We would at least some kind of service to return to Machynlleth.”

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