MACHYNLLETH Town Council has vowed to continue fighting against a controversial exchange of common land to allow a new traveller site.

Powys County Council has been ordered by the Welsh Government to provide a traveller site for five families to meet a recognised need and has been granted conditional planning permission to carry out works on an area of common land by Machynlleth cemetery which has been used by a family for several years.

But to be able to legally continue with the scheme, Powys council has to provide the town with an alternative area of common land, a process which has led to anger from town councillors who have criticised the proposed area of land suggested saying that it is too far out of town and liable to flooding.

While consultants for the county council have suggested the alternative site is ‘mostly’ easily accessible, a majority of town councillors dismissed that claim.

Cllr Rhydian Mason said: “It is not a fair comparison. It doesn’t actually state it’s all easily accessible or compare it to the accessibility of the current land. They’re just playing with words again.

“They’re trying to offer us an unfair exchange of land. It’s on their terms and nobody else’s.

“I continue to have no confidence in Powys County Council or the newly elected leader.”

Cllr Noella Elliott insisted the law around common land was made by an act of parliament and said she had not received any answer as to whether that law can be overridden to allow the scheme to go ahead.

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