THE preferred option for a traveller site in Machynlleth would involve the expansion and redesign of an existing site, Powys County Council officers have confirmed.

But Machynlleth councillors have insisted that residents in the town should be given the opportunity to say whether they even want a site in Machynlleth, as part of a full consultation.

They heard that eight potential sites had been looked at by Powys council officers, after an assessment ruled that there was a need for five units to cater for five households.

Those sites were: the current site, near the town cemetery; the former Travis Perkins site; 98 Maengwyn Street; land behind the Harry Tuffins supermarket; Felingerrig field; Dyfi Eco Park nursery; the EMR depot at Fellingerrig; and Craig y Henffordd.

Five of those sites were discounted because of issues including flooding and whether development could happen quickly enough. Just the locations of the current site, Fellingerrig field and Craig y Henffordd have been advanced. The council has said it favours extending the current site.

Town councillors said they had concerns that significant amounts of funding would be required to provide the new extended site and questioned how that could be justified to benefit one family.

Cllr Diana Lewis added: “In these days of cost-cutting I understand there is no money, yet we’re spending an awful lot of taxpayers’ money on one family when we can’t spend it on another young family or a hospital or a library.”

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