Missed recycling collections reduce with new fleet

Overtime savings and fewer complaints about missed bin collections have resulted from new refuse and recycling vehicles in North Devon, it has been claimed.

Council staff morale has also improved because of it.

North Devon Council’s decision to lease vehicles rather than keep repairing old ones until they reach the end of their working life has transformed the service,  the authority’s strategy and resources committee was told.

Ten-year-old “problematic” HGV recycling vehicles have been replaced by 14 new ones, plus a spare, and all 12 refuse collection vehicles have also been replaced plus two spares.

The recycling collection service has vastly improved, said officers. Previously rounds were not being completed because of breakdowns and reliability was at an all-time low.

“Staff morale has improved with the introduction of new vehicles and this has helped to provide a real sense of ownership and an overtime saving of £30,000 has been achieved,” said fleet contract and transport manager Steven Howlett in a report.

The benefit of contract hire meant that the council could replace vehicles mid-term.

Councillors were told that the technology is not yet advanced enough for the  fleet to transfer to electric by 2030, when the authority is committed to reaching net zero.

The hill to the Brynsworthy Environment Centre is difficult for fully loaded vehicles and rural North Devon’s terrain is less suited to electric than flat urban areas.

Replacing HGVs with electric ones would be something the council would “look at over the next 10 years”.

Cllr Ricky Knight ( Green, Heanton Punchardon) said it would be interesting to see how electric buses fare after the county was awarded £5.3 million for 41 zero emission buses covering Exeter, Torridge and North Devon. They will go into service by 2026.

Deputy leader Cllr David Clayton (Lib Dem, Barnstaple with Westacott) said he was pleased about a “huge improvement” in customer satisfaction as a result of the new fleet.

Work has started on a £3.7 million revamp of the Brynsworthy Environment Centre to speed up processing. It should provide better facilities for staff, and improve pedestrian and vehicle movements.

The strategy and resources committee was told the work is expected to be completed by January and disruptions would be kept to a minimum, with no work in August as it is the busiest month for recycling.

New baling equipment will process six times as much recyclable material as the current equipment which in turn will generate more income for the council.