💬 Big Questions Over £400k Landfill Profits in Merthyr Tydfil! 💬
There’s a buzz in Merthyr Tydfil as £492,067.79 of unexpected profits from the Trecatti landfill site is up for grabs, and everyone wants to know how it’s going to be spent!
⛰️ Thanks to a profit-sharing agreement with Biffa Waste Services, the council bagged this tidy sum for the 2024/25 financial year. But the big question is: Where should the money go?
Council plans are already facing scrutiny. The proposed breakdown? £5,000 to each of the 11 electoral wards, a little extra bump of £10,000 to Dowlais and Pant for some extra inconvenience, and the rest—£427,067.79—held back to cover potential losses from Shared Prosperity Funding. 🤔
👀 Councillor Lisa Mytton is calling for more detail, emphasising the need for SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) planning. She makes a valid point – we’ve not had such profits in a decade, so let’s think long term.
😲 Councillor Geraint Thomas is equally aghast. He argues that it’s not fair to use these funds as a ‘stop gap’ without a proper plan in place. Why isn’t the Welsh Labour Government stepping up?
Meanwhile, Councillor Declan Sammon admits he’s more in-the-know thanks to his cabinet position, but agrees everyone deserves transparency. Councillor David Hughes and others echoed the call for clarity. After all, isn’t transparency key in public service?
Labour’s Councillor Anna Williams-Price assures members they’ll get to vote on the nitty-gritty as plans progress. But as they say, the devil’s in the detail! 😇
So, what do you think? Should we spread the funds across the wards or invest in sustainable community projects? Let us know your thoughts! 💬👇