Calls for council to reverse ‘short-sighted’ trade waste decision

Pressure is being put on North Devon Council to reverse a decision to scrap trade waste and recycling collections, which has caused outrage across the district.

The council’s strategy and resources committee agreed on Monday, January 5 to end the 20-year-old service, leaving almost 2,000 businesses to find alternative private arrangements.

Trade waste collections have been running at a £67,000 a year loss, set to rise to £200,000 in 2026-27 because a new waste vehicle is needed.

READ MORE: North Devon businesses face shock as council scraps trade waste collections

The decision to do away with the non-statutory service rather than run a refuse-only collection or raise the charges by 25 per cent to break even was made on a casting vote by the chairman and leader of the council, Councillor David Clayton after the vote was tied.

An investigation into the decision-making process is being carried out by the council’s scrutiny and policy development committee after claims that its recommendation for a fuller consultation with businesses and more information to come forward was ignored.

It wants to ensure that the decision-making process was ‘fair, transparent and accountable’.

The committee is also writing to Cllr Clayton in the hope that it can force an extraordinary meeting to reverse the decision.

Cllr Peter Jones said: “I have been contacted by numerous local businesses who are deeply concerned about the council’s decision to end the trade waste service.

“Many of these businesses rely on this provision and now fear they will not be able to find another supplier, particularly in rural parts of our district.

“The sudden withdrawal of a service that has been in place for decades has caused shock across the community and among councillors from all sides, with many surprised that a better compromise could not be found.

“This decision is creating real uncertainty for our local economy and for the livelihoods of hardworking business owners. Not one of our scrutiny members agreed with it, it’s crazy really.”

Cllr Jones said he was ‘hopeful’ the Liberal Democrat administration would respond to the request of the scrutiny and policy committee and support an urgent motion at full council on Wednesday (January 14) to give time for the impact of this decision to be reviewed and mitigated.

Chair of the scrutiny and policy development committee Frank Biederman said he understood the financial pressure on local authorities from almost two decades of central government cuts, but the decision had been ‘rushed’.

Braunton bar and restaurant owner and North Devon trade waste customer Olly Seymour said he was not aware of any business that would not pay 25 per cent more in charges to stick with North Devon.

In a letter to North Devon Council he said: “On the whole, the service we have received has been excellent from the entire department… from waste collection employees to the communication and advice given by those in the office.”

He said there had been ‘no consultation with local business over the interruption this will cause them’.

Mr Seymour said the trade waste collection service could have been run better over the last two or three years and imposing incremental increases would have prevented the council getting into this situation.

“Many small firms will struggle to find other providers,” he said.

Other business owners, responding to Mr Seymour’s post on Facebook, called the decision ‘disgraceful’ and ‘short-sighted’.

North Devon Council officers said consultation had taken place with 20 businesses, both rural and urban, to get their views on a possible ending of the council’s business waste service.

Head of environmental enhancement Mark Kentell said there was mixed reaction, but no-one said it would be ‘absolutely catastrophic’.

Concerns were raised that if the charges were increased, businesses may look to private companies anyway as they also offered food waste collections as well as waste and recycling.

The matter was discussed in December and deferred for a month to give councillors time to ask more questions.

Any changes will not come into effect before the new financial year in April.