The closure of a household waste and recycling centre in Neath Port Talbot will save the local authority up to £100,000, council officers claim.

The centre at Pwllfawatkin in the Swansea Valley is earmarked for closure at the end of March 2019 with the service moving to a centre at Lower Cwmtwrch on the Powys border.

Officers say Neath Port Talbot Council will collaborate with Powys County Council which owns the centre to provide a joint service.

The new site is around 20 minutes away from Pwllfawatkin.

The plans which go before the streetscene and engineering cabinet board on Friday July 20 as part of a wider waste strategy review were partly approved by councillors in March.

Officers say the new site will improve recycling performance and be cheaper for the council.

In a report which went before councillors earlier this year officers state: “At present, people who live near to Pwllfawatkin have direct access to a household waste and recycling centre facility, while others living within the county borough but near to the border with Powys, and their site at Lower Cwmtwrch, have to drive around 15 to 20 minutes to access Pwllfawatkin.

“Under the proposed joint working the situation in terms of travel for residents

would simply be reversed.”

They add: “The facility at Lower Cmmtwrch site has better facilities and a

higher rate of recycling, which will help boost this council’s recycling rate and thereby assist in avoiding fines associated with failure to achieve the statutory recycling targets.”

FCC Waste Services (UK) own and operate the Pwllfawatkin centre and the adjoining landfill site.

It deals with around 3,400 tonnes of waste per year and provides facilities for a range of materials.

It recycles or composts 63% of all waste deposited at the site compared to the council owned sites in Briton Ferry and Cymmer, where 74% of all waste

deposited is recycled.

FCC run all three sites but the facilities at Pwllfawatkin are more limited.