South Hams householders 'pay twice for garden recycling'

Waste is recycled by using plastic boxes for paper, cardboard and glass, another container for plastic containers and tins and another for food waste

Residents have said they are "paying twice" for waste collections after private firms stepped in to take on hundreds of garden waste collections.

South Hams District Council in Devon suspended collections in August, blaming a lack of lorry drivers.

Some residents left without collections say the suspension of the service is "appalling" and a "diabolical mess".

The council said it was a "non-statutory service", so "householders are not paying twice".

Recycling collections have been beset by problems, including missed collections and complaints that vehicles are too large for some areas

FCC Environment took over responsibility for waste collections in the South Hams in April 2019.

Marion Pratt, from Blackawton, said: "It's appalling what the council have done. We're paying for a service we're not getting.

"Taking it to a recycling centre is impossible for me, I have a disabled husband and I suffer with arthritis."

Yanine Tarr, from Kingsbridge, said she was "absolutely disgusted" with the waste collection service.

"If the council wants to earn the respect of residents they should reallocate the money they are giving to FCC to private contractors who want to do the job.

"It's a diabolical mess."

Photographer Martyn Norsworthy from Kingsbridge said: "The council should never have allowed allowed waste collections to be taken out of council control.

"It is residents paying twice because of the mess it is in."

Marion Pratt says householders are paying for a service they are not getting

FCC Environment launched a so-called super recycler service in March 2021, with plastic boxes for gathering recycled waste instead of the plastic bags.

But it has been beset by problems, including missed collections and complaints that vehicles are too large for some areas.

Garden waste collections were suspended and the authority, which gets a £175 precept of the average £2,090 council tax charged a year for a Band D household, advised residents to "home compost" or take it to recycling centres.

Missed recycling collections were blamed on increased amounts of waste

Timeline:

• 1 April 2019: FCC Environment begins providing waste and recycling collection services

• 8 March 2021: FCC rolls out super recycler service

• 28 May: FCC blames "increased volumes" of waste for missed collections

• 11 June: Super recycler service suspended for some areas

• 16 August: Garden waste collections suspended

• 16 September: Council "reluctantly" agrees to keep the garden waste service suspended

A number of private waste collectors are offering their services, including James Gordon of Leaf it Out in Kingsbridge.

"I had a vehicle and I could take it, I thought: 'Why not take it on?' he said.

"We started with 15 customers and it has grown and grown."

He said he now had 400 customers who paid between £14 or £10 a time, and was in talks with two parish councils.

The waste is taken is turned into compost and wood chips in Kingsbridge.

"I do feel sorry for people, but the council needs to look at ways of refunding or discounting because it's not fair that people pay twice," said Mr Gordon.

A council spokesperson said the authority's executive would review the suspension of garden waste collections on 14 October.

And they said anyone using a private waste collector "must take reasonable steps" to make sure they were a licensed carrier.

It added the service was "provided at the council's discretion" and "as the national shortage of LGV and HGV drivers continues, we have had to make the tough decision to prioritise vital recycling and refuse collections at the expense of garden waste collections".

It added: "The council does not have a statutory duty to provide a garden waste collection, so householders are not paying twice."

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].