USUALLY a reporter sits in meeting listening to what’s being said, making notes, not actually taking part in the discussions.

And if someone said that I would be part of a group of councillors going on a “carousel” of seminars at Powys County Council’s (PCC) transformation seminar day I would have thought I’d been had on April Fool’s day.

But this is what happened.

Instead of a series of presentations explaining the several transformation projects that are under way at PCC, head of strategy performance and transformation, Emma Palmer, told members that they would be split up into groups and visit staff who are working on the transformation projects.

I joined Cllrs Michael Williams (Independent- Machynlleth), Ange Williams (Independent – Knighton), Jeremy Pugh (Independent – Builth Wells), Susan McNichols (Labour – Ynyscedwyn), Karen Laurie-Parry (independent – Bronllys), Joy Jones (non-aligned – Newtown East) and Mathew Dorrance (Labour – Brecon St John).

Economy and planning portfolio holder Cllr Martin Weale (Independent, Llanbadarn Fawr ) also joined the group.

The team explained the the projects that have seen several new schools built around the county. They explained possible new projects on the horizon, while asking the councillors to bring their own ideas forth.

Cllr Mike Williams believed if the map of Powys were blank, where to place schools would be different to what it is.

Then it was on to a discussion on digital transformation and the use of social media as a means of communicating with the Powys residents.

In the last few years many government services have been put online, for “ease of access” and to cut costs. Local government is going the same direction.

Anti-Poverty Champion Cllr Joy Jones pointed out that not everyone can afford broadband and many people don’t have an interest in using technology.

Then it was on to waste services, and the main attraction of the day, residents with an Amazon Alexa can tell it to get in touch online with PCC.

Devised by Graham Solomon from the department, you can order your recycling boxes and also find out who your councillor is.

Then we went on to learn about affordable homes.

At the moment PCC is preparing six schemes to be built across the county and hopes to have met its target of building 250 by the end of 2023

Building work will start on the Newtown Bowling Green development for 26 flats later this month.

Other schemes in the pipeline are set for The Red Dragon, Newtown , Sarn (near Newtown), Llanidloes, Brecon and Clyro.

Next was the Mid Wales Growth Deal scheme team.

They are working with the private sector to come up with schemes that would boost the economies of both Powys and Ceredigion and have a pot of £200 million to help this.

The team will present ideas to the Welsh Government at the Royal Welsh Show in July.

Cllr Jeremy Pugh suggested that they needed to look into energy production as more wind turbine wind-farms could produce more money for the local economy.

The last stop was with the Community Hub Team.

Following a consultation, smaller rural libraries around Powys have been given time to find different ways of evolving to survive.

In this time they could change to become Community Hubs providing access to a myriad of services and run by different partnerships.

But the idea is still at the proposal stage and the question asked of the councillors is: What is a Community Hub?

Time had run out and with a couple of seminars left to do it was back into the chamber for a de-briefing session.