BLAENAU Gwent council bosses and councillors visited a glass bottle factory in Turkey before lockdown in a bid to help secure a major development for the borough, it has been revealed.

Council officers, two Independent councillors and a Welsh Government representative flew out to Istanbul, where they stayed the night, before travelling south west to the factory.

The delegation was impressed by the facility, which was located in a mountainous and remote area, with the company behind it now wanting to set up a similar development in Ebbw Vale which would create 600 jobs.

Blaenau Gwent council said the visit was “not unusual” for a development of such significance.

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But the leader of the authority’s Labour group, Cllr Steve Thomas, has called for the council to outline the details of the trip and said opposition members were left “completely in the dark” about the visit.

“I think in the interests of transparency, the Independent leadership should make more details available to the public as to the precise nature of this visit,” Cllr Thomas said.

“There could be planning declarations required if any of the two members sit on the planning committee.

“I am also perplexed that the council says trips like these are not unusual as I am struggling to remember more than a handful which involved councillors, and they happened a long time ago.”

Plans have recently been submitted for a glass bottle manufacturing facility on the Rassau Industrial Estate, near Ebbw Vale, with operations planned to start in 2023 and full production the following year.

The council says it is working with the Welsh Government and a private company “to establish an advanced manufacturing facility”.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Blaenau Gwent council officers, a Welsh Government representative and two elected members linked to regeneration activity in the borough visited a glass bottle manufacturing facility in Turkey earlier this year.

“The facility is run by a company that subsequently submitted a planning application for a similar project in Ebbw Vale.

“The visit was funded by the council and the Welsh Government in line with the agreed expenses polices for local government.

“It is not unusual for council representatives to undertake important activity such as this and it is in fact considered good practice to carry out due diligence in relation to a proposal of such significance for the local area.”