THERE will be a public consultation when Powys County Council re-submits its Environmental Permit application for the controversial £4 million Abermule Bulk Recycling Facility.

Natural Resources Wales has said that as the application is of “high public interest”, and as such will be subject to a full public consultation.

Building work has started on the site which should be finished by the summer and it is expected that the recycling site will become operational this autumn.

But, that will not happen unless the council receives the permit.

In January, PCC submitted an application which was sent back in February, as there was not enough detail in the application. It was not, however, rejected.

NRW's waste permitting team leader Huw Davies said: “We consider this of high public interest.

“If we receive a resubmitted application, which has the required information to allow us to begin a technical assessment, we will hold a full public consultation.

“We will consider all relevant comments during our assessment and we will show how the comments have been considered in the final decision document.”

Villagers have been battling against the scheme for over 18 months and have set up a protest group Abermule Communities Together.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We will have to keep an eye on the NRW website and get ready to state our case.

“This is where every single one of us  can possibly make this change.

“This really is our last chance and we all need to take action.

“This is where everyone needs to object to the impact this will have on us all.”

A spokesperson for the council said: "We are working closely with NRW and taking on their advice to ensure that all their requirements are met when the permit application is submitted.”

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

In May 2019 the PCC cabinet voted unanimously in favour of going ahead with it after a full council meeting had urged them to refuse 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 bulking recycle facility is “essential to maximise the efficiency” of the collection vehicles and is “ideally located between the two main population centres of North Powys”.