TAXPAYERS will fork out £790,000 to permanently house travellers on a piece of Machynlleth common land, figures have revealed.

Powys council’s budget book for 2017/18 shows £790,000 of taxpayers’ money set aside to complete the controversial project, which has seen a series of rows over replacement land, costs, and a lack of consultation.

The controversial plan to expand Machynlleth’s traveller site near the town’s cemetery was given the green light by Powys planners earlier this year, despite concerns in the town over unresolved issues about the highway access to the site and over the replacement of the designated common land.

Powys council has been ordered by the Welsh Government to provide the permanent traveller site for five families to “meet a recognised need”.

The money will be used to provide services and overcome access problems to the site.

Machynlleth councillor Michael Williams said the town council was “unaware” of the full costs of the proposed scheme.

“I understand substantial works will have to be carried out there for it to go ahead which is why the cost is so high,” he told the Cambrian News.

“It is something that Powys council has been told to provide by the Welsh Government.”

Councillors have previously raised concerns over the cost of the scheme, fearing that paying for it could see cuts in other areas.

Cllr Sylvia Rowlands warned in a meeting in February that there could be losses of further services in the town because of the additional money needed to be found to pay for the traveller site.

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