Huge issues to be decided in Welshpool’s chamber of secrets tonight

Key debates regarding the future of two Welshpool issues will happen behind closed doors tonight with the public and press excluded.

An Extraordinary Full Town Council meeting has been called for 6pm at the Town Hall, but the three agenda items, including the Town Hall and Wiggly Path, are listed for Private Session which means only town councillors can attend.

This, of course, is the Town Council’s right, but previously the local authority has prided itself on being open and transparent with its residents, and this means the decision-making will go ahead with any external scrutiny. Instead, we will have to wait for the meeting minutes to be published in a few weeks for a very brief summary of the outcomes.

This has happened before when the budget for the Tourist Information Centre transformation spiralled from just over the original £100,000 to the final £299,000 price tag last year. Many of those meetings were held in closed sessions.

The Town Hall, however, is due to be discussed at the next meeting of the Policy and Strategy Committee at 6.30pm on Thursday evening in open session along with the skatepark, but these items could well be pushed into that meeting's Private Session too.

MyWelshpool understands that items like staff salaries and internal issues should remain confidential, but surely the town’s tax payers should be a part of the process of how their council tax money is spent?

So, what’s being discussed tonight?

Town Hall future

The Town Council has commissioned a £10,000 survey to reveal just how costly it will be to repair and develop the iconic building. One councillor told us that the cost could be “astronomical”. The surveyor’s report will be shared tonight. It has been previously agreed that a survey will be carried out on the building every five years.

Wiggly Path

Powys County Council is keen to offload the short cut between Red Bank and the town centre, but many town councillors are unwilling to take it on. The question is, what will happen if they don’t?

Staff remuneration

Councillors will discuss the additional duties of staff and agree on suitable remuneration.