LIBRARIES and care homes could be under threat because of a funding shortfall for a controversial traveller site in Machynlleth, it was feared this week.

Plans for the traveller site, identified as a pressing need by a Powys County Council survey, is due to go before the authority’s planning committee shortly.

Machynlleth Town Council has already lodged an objection and questioned whether the scheme can go ahead until Powys council has provided an alternative area of common land to make up for the loss of the common land that would house the traveller site.

Now there is also concern that there is a shortfall in funding for the work required at the site, with several different figures for the cost of the project being rumoured in the town.

Cllr Sylvia Rowlands said she feared the loss of further services in the town because of the additional money needed to be found to pay for the traveller site.

She said: “What facilities will we lose again to make up for this shortfall? It’s quite worrying that we’ve already lost services because of a funding shortfall and they’re going ahead with this when they know there’s going to be a shortfall in funding.

“Are we going to lose libraries and care homes to make up for this shortfall?”

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