WHILE public meetings and protests are still taking place over the Abermule bulk recycling facility, work to ready the site for building is quietly taking place.

At Thursday's Powys County Council (PCC) planning committee meeting, members will be looking at an application to discharge conditions eight and 12 of the planning approval.

They deal with conservation and land contamination.

PCC are the applicants themselves which means that the application needs to be approved by committee.

The conditions to be discharged say: "No development shall tackle place until a site investigation of the nature and extent of contamination has been carried out, by a suitably qualified, competent person, in accordance with the methodology which has been previously been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

The report adds:  "The council's contaminated land officer has confirmed that the proposed scope of works is acceptable.

"Officers are satisfied that sufficient information has been submitted to partially discharge the respective planning condition in accordance with relevant planning policies."

The application will go before members just less than 48 hours after protestors meet the council's political leader,  Cllr Rosemarie Harris, and cabinet members Cllrs Aled Davies and Phyl Davies.

Protestors have had a high profile campaign over the last four months and are still hoping that they can persuade PCC to stop the development.

But PCC has stressed that the facility is needed to meet Welsh Government recycling targets.

Senior council officers have also told the Local Democracy Service that they did "everything possible" to consult with residents including holding a public meeting, and that this is being forgotten as the protests gather momentum.