HOPES have been expressed that a mortuary set up to deal the bodies of those who die of Covid19 will never be needed.

The mortuary at Wyeside Enterprise Park at Llanelwedd has yet to be put into use.

It has the capacity to store up to 631 bodies, having been built to deal with a worst-case scenario of increased numbers of deaths during the coronavirus pandemic.

So far, ONS figures show that 75 people have died during the wave of the pandemic in Powys.

At a Powys Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday, councillors received a report on the Unit One Temporary Body Storage Facility.

Portfolio holder for Economic Development, Housing and Regulatory Services, Cllr James Evans said: “The First Minister (Mark Drakeford MS) outlined his expectation that local government, the NHS and funeral directors work together to ensure that additional mortuary capacity is in place across the country.

“The work that social distancing is doing and the sacrifices of staying home to protect the NHS, means that we have yet to use Unit One.”

The set-up cost of the mortuary was £124,270, and it will remain on standby until March 2021, at an estimated cost of more than £658,000. It has been paid for by the Welsh Government, and not Powys Council.

Cllr Evans said that the council had worked closely with Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) on setting up the facility.

The site was chosen it as it was “central” to the whole county and “easily accessible”.

Corporate director for Economy and Environment, Nigel Brinn, told cabinet: “The team have been absolutely tremendous in putting this together at very short notice.

“The pleasing note is, the facility is not required at this time and let’s hope that remains the case.

“If we are required unfortunately to bring it in to service, we are ready and able to do so.”

Council Leader, Cllr Rosemarie Harris (Independent – Llangynidr) said: “I think it’s quite important that we point out that we have not paid for this facility, it’s being paid for by (Welsh) government.

“In case someone says this has been an awful waste of money, it’s something we have to have.”

The facility will be staffed on a rota basis by three teams of at least six workers.

The report adds that use of Unit One would only start when all existing mortuary facilities in the county have reached their limit.

Bereaved families will not be able to access to the facility as they will not be able to view their loved ones.