MACHYNLLETH Town Council has broken its silence over its decision to take over the café at Y Plas, hitting back at a former mayor.

Documents seen by the Cambrian News reveal that, in October 2015, then councillor Gareth Jones, who has criticised the council’s decision to end its lease of the former Bwyty y Plas café and to run the business itself, voted to “look at taking over the running of the café and employ a manager and staff to manage it”.

The council took the decision to reveal the minutes of the meeting, part of which was held in committee where the public and press were excluded, after Mr Jones accused the council of competing against local businesses.

The minutes of two previous meetings of the Plas development committee, of which Mr Jones was not a member, held on 15 September and 26 October 2015, reveal that councillors believed the café was being “heavily subsidised” by the council “at the expense of the remainder of Y Plas”.

If the tenant did not agree to pay substantially more, committee members agreed, and later full council unanimously agreed, the council should examine the feasibility of running the café itself.

But speaking to the Cambrian News this week, Mr Jones said his approval of such a move did not mean he endorsed the final decision to take the business on.

See this week’s Machynlleth & Llanidloes paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now