COUNCIL services in Machynlleth are not at risk of being scrapped to provide funding for a controversial traveller site in the town, Powys County Council has insisted.

Machynlleth town councillors had raised concerns that rumours of a funding gap for the planned gypsy and traveller site in the town could see other services, such as the library and day centre, closed to make savings.

But Cllr Wynne Jones, the Powys Cabinet member for finance, has called the claims “deliberate scaremongering” and has insisted there is no threat to services to provide funding for the site.

He said: ”The council is required under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 to assess the needs of gypsy and travellers and act in accordance with those needs. The Cabinet has accepted the needs identified for Machynlleth and included funding in its capital and revenue budgets.

“There is £200,000 in this year’s capital budget for the necessary site survey work and, obtaining planning permission, we have budgeted £2.28m for the work, with £1.5m assumed from the Welsh Government and the remainder to be funded from prudential borrowing and income from rental income."

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