Powys County Councillor Iain McIntosh has called for an apology from Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation, David Thomas, following what he describes as a dismissive response to concerns about rural service disparities at last week’s full council meeting.

Conservative Cllr McIntosh, who represents Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew, challenged the proposed budget from the Liberal Democrat/Labour coalition, arguing that services in rural areas continue to lag behind those in urban centres.

“The main problem I’ve got is with the ongoing service inequity issues which are affecting our rural communities,” said Cllr McIntosh.

“It is just not fair for us to expect rural residents to pay more for less, to subsidise Sustainable Powys, where people are going to be prioritised.”

The Sustainable Powys initiative aims to consolidate services into five major towns or ‘Hubs’ across the county - Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod, Brecon, and Ystradgynlais.

Recently, Cllr McIntosh outlined several issues he believes disproportionately affect rural areas, including the closure of rural schools, poor road maintenance, cuts to social services, and reductions in waste and recycling services. He also criticised the new booking system for waste disposal, which he argued further disadvantages rural residents.

“I have raised these issues with Cabinet and I’ve not seen any attempt to resolve them - these disparities for rural residents,” said Cllr McIntosh.

“I think it’s imperative we ensure fairness in our service delivery and fiscal responsibilities, so I urge Cabinet to take immediate action and address these concerns substantively.”

Cllr Thomas, who represents Tawe Uchaf, rejected Cllr McIntosh’s claims, arguing that the council’s priorities would ultimately benefit rural areas. He said he didn’t agree there was a disparity in service delivery between rural and urban areas.

“We are prioritising people because we’re protecting services that are valued by our residents,” he said. He argued that Sustainable Powys would “benefit” rural communities because of improvements in links to the Hubs from the 13 localities and services provided.

“In actual fact, if you look at what’s provided with regard to waste, recycling and highways etc, there is no change proposed in that,” he said.

“Community councils obviously have got their own precept as well, that they set, that can contribute to the wellbeing of rural communities.”

Cllr Thomas added: “So I don’t accept that point. I represent a rural ward and certainly I wouldn’t agree with those comments.”

Following the meeting, Cllr McIntosh doubled down on his position, accusing Cllr Thomas of failing to understand the realities faced by rural residents, labelling his response “dismissive and concerning”. He pointed to issues such as unreliable school transport, new car parking charges, and the inequitable provision of social services as evidence of the disparities.

“I demand an immediate apology from Cllr Thomas to the rural residents of Powys and call for a significant adjustment in his understanding and approach to rural issues,” said Cllr McIntosh.

“It is time for Cllr Thomas and his colleagues to acknowledge the clear discrepancies in service provision and to rectify these with the urgency they require.”

In response, Cllr Thomas told the B&R that Powys is a vast rural authority and it is “not financially viable or practical to provide all services in all towns.”

“Levels of service are based on need, not location,” he said.

“The council has always ensured access to all services to all residents.

“However, we acknowledge that some residents will inevitably have to travel further to access some services - this has always been the case.”