A new business park at Abermule is more likely to attract "light industrial" businesses than artisan producers, a council has heard.

Abermule with Llandyssil Community Council will next week discuss a pre-application for the new business park, which is being held by Powys County Council.

The county authority wants to build nine business units on the edge of the village, close to a new bulk recycling facility.

Villagers from campaign group Abermule Communities Together have said they would like to see small artisan-type units to attract craft businesses – but the meeting heard that this was unlikely after the idea was floated by Cllr Alan Meredith-Jones.

County Councillor Gareth Pugh, said:  “That is not going to happen.

“They have tourists there and I think Corris was mentioned, we can forget that sort of idea.

“That estate has already been downgraded by putting the bulking facility in there, we are going to be looking at the rougher trades.”

Cllr Gary Orrells, added: “We have to be realistic about who we expect will take on a premises there next to a recycling plant.

“In an ideal world we’d all love the Hilltop Honey or Clogau Gold, but that’s not going to happen.

“We are completely different to Corris and the clientele we can attract.”

Cllr Orrells said that Corris was a UNESCO site and that “attracted money to the area.”

Cllr Orrells added: “We haven’t a hope of attracting those small niche businesses in to Abermule.

“We need to go down the light industry route to fill them.”

Cllr Pugh told the meeting that the units are being built speculatively – meaning they are being constructed without a specific business in mind – because of how grant funding from the Welsh Government is set up.

Community council chairman, Cllr Jane Rees also told the meeting: “We did notice that the plans have been revised, they are smaller than they were in the draft plan we had.

“They have been shrunk to allow more room for lorries.”

The pre-application consultation runs until October 26.

Next Wednesday, it is expected that most of the councillors will be part of a socially distanced, prior appointment meeting at Abermule Community Centre, while others will be able to take part or watch remotely.

A planning application to build 32 homes at land next to The Meadows, and a variation application for Nant y Waun, Llanmerwig, will also discussed at the  meeting.