“Unless you live in Newtown, Welshpool, Llandrindod or Brecon you will not be able to access services in your community,” a councillor has warned, as plans to centralise services are approved by Powys County Council’s Cabinet.

Powys Independents and opposition joint-leader Cllr Beverley Baynham warned Cabinet members that moving ahead ahead with plans to to locate council services in just those four towns will see council services across the county “decimated”.

The ‘principles’ of the Sustainable Powys plan are needed to balance the books over the next five years as the council faces up to £64m if ‘nothing is done’, Powys County Council Cabinet members heard on Tuesday, 16 July.

Cllr Baynham told members: “When residents hear the words Sustainable Powys the first thing that comes to mind is the environment and climate emergency.

“I am not sure they realise; in this context it is the decimation of services in all but four hub towns.

“I am here today to ask you, to please reconsider this ill-judged proposal that is going to ostracise my community and many others throughout Powys.

“Unless you live in Newtown, Welshpool, Llandrindod or Brecon you will not be able to access services in your community and will instead have to travel up to one hour each way on a bus.”

“Do cabinet members think it is acceptable for a small child to have to travel an hour each way to access a leisure centre or a library.”

“Do you think people in poverty who cannot afford to pay for broadband will finish work and drive all the way to their nearest hub to access computer and internet services in the library.

“That is the reality of your proposals.

“As you probably realise, I am extremely distressed at these proposals.

“You cannot seriously consider removing all services for all bar four towns is the way forward.”

Council leader, Liberal Democrat, James Gibson-Watt said: “We effectively already run a four hub model – the idea that we provide comprehensive services equally now is nonsense.”

Giving his “hometown” of Hay-on-Wye as an example Cllr Gibson-Watt explained that the council’s only presence there is the school.

Cllr Gibson-Watt said: “For Hay there is no real change, and I suspect for a lot of communities that is also the case.

“If we do nothing it would be catastrophic.” A majority of cabinet members voted in favour of the “principles.”