THE FIRST “question at anytime” and its answer has been published on the Powys County Council (PCC) website.

In a move to have fewer questions asked at full council meetings, councillors agreed on October 10 to a three month trial, which will allow councillors to ask questions “at any time” to cabinet members and senior staff.

The idea follows a model working at Newport City Council.

Councillors could expect an answer in 10 days and the question and response would be uploaded to PCC’s council’s website.

The first question to get an answer from a head of service was made by Cllr Jon Williams (Independent – Llandrindod East/West).

Cllr Williams, asked: “Bearing in mind the recent amount of money spent on the new Y Gaer building in Brecon, what effect will this have on the Radnorshire museum in Llandrindod and will the head of service confirm the long term future of the Radnorshire museum?”

Head of housing and community development, NinaDavies, replied: “The budget spent to date on Y Gaer is capital spend and so this has had no impact on service delivery of either of the council’s museums in Radnorshire or Montgomeryshire.

“Similarly, the revenue budget for Y Gaer is separate from our other museums, and so there has been no detrimental effect on the revenue spend for either Powysland Museum (Welshpool) or Radnorshire Museum.

“In other words, there have been no reductions in the budget for either Powysland or Radnorshire Museum in order to subsidise service provision in Brecon."

Mrs Davies added: “In terms of the long term future, there will be cuts across the whole of housing and community development in the next three years and no areas will be protected, and this includes Y Gaer.

“No decisions have been made to date.”

Mrs Davies said that Llandrindod Town Council had withdrawn their business case for a leasehold CAT (Capital Asset Transfer) for Radnorshire Museum and that she “would welcome any thoughts” on finding partners for the museum.

Brecon’s Y Gaer (Welsh for Fortress) cultural hub is the redevelopment of the Grade II* listed Shire Hall and construction of a new modern library which is due to open in December.

The project has been delayed for months and was supposed to have opened last year and then on March 1 this year.

Costs have risen to £14.2 million, which is over £5 million more than expected.

Radnorshire Museum is at Temple Street in Llandrindod Wells.

It is housed in the old Carnegie Library, built from 1911.

The museum is set back from the road opposite Temple Gardens and beside the war memorial, next to the Hotel Metropole.