WORK building the controversial £4.1 million Abermule Bulk Recycling facility is due to start after Christmas.

Building work should be finished by the summer of 2020 and it is set to become operational in the autumn of 2020.

Representatives of Abermule with Llandyssil Community Council have met with staff from Powys County Council (PCC) to discuss the project, while members of protest group Abermule Communities Together (ACT) were frozen out of the meeting.

The community council has released a Question and Answer statement  of their meeting with PCC engineers.

PCC were asked what is the current construction programme?

PCC said: “The contractor (Jones Bros) started on site on October 7.

“The main groundwork’s and drainage will be undertaken until Christmas and the construction of the new building will start after Christmas.”

In October the site flooded – the community council asked: “Are there flooding issues at the site.

PCC answered: “Flood compensation has been provided in the adjacent field to deal with storm water during significant rainfall events.

“During recent heavy rain there was no flooding from the Severn, however, there was water ponding/standing on the site.

“To date only excavation works have been undertaken and the drainage system is yet to be installed.”

On contamination issues which include deadly asbestos PCC say: “The contractor and site operatives are aware of the contamination and will be responsible for the management plan which will ensure removal of material complies with all current regulations and guidance.”

The community council asked: “What is happening with the business units?

PCC answered: “”It  is the council’s intention to construct speculative business units and the design process for this is ongoing.

“A number of parties have declared an interest in occupying units on the site.”

The Q and A also addresses issue on great crested newts, smell, noise, fire risk, traffic and visual amenity.

Members of ACT who were at the community council meeting on Wednesday, November 6 to find out how the meeting between their representatives and PCC had been.

Mark Pearce of ACT said: “PCC has deemed that communication can now only take place via the ‘conduit’ of our community council and county councillor, Gareth Pugh (Conservative – Dolfor).

“An inaugural meeting to kick-start this process recently took place between two officers of our council, Cllr Gareth Pugh, and two officers from PCC down on the site on Tuesday, October 29.”

Mr Pearce added that he expected the Q and A sheet through the community council to become the way that news of the development is shared in the village.

In August 2018, planning permission was given for the £4 million scheme.

In May the PCC cabinet voted unanimously in favour of going ahead with it.

PCC has stressed  that the facility is to help the authority deal with hitting the Welsh Government recycling targets of 70 per cent by 2024/25.

It believes the recycling bulking facility is “essential to maximise the efficiency” of the collection vehicles and is “ideally located between the two main population centres of North Powys.”