TORRIDGE District Council recently voted on changes to waste collection and recycling services in the district — which will affect Holsworthy.

At a meeting of the full council on January 23, councillors voted in favour of taking forward an options model that looks at the way waste and recycling services are delivered across the district.

The planned changes are for there to be a fortnightly black bag collection, while at the same time extending the range of plastics collected, and enhancing food waste and garden waste collections.

While Torridge’s recycling rate of around 43-45% is already above average nationally, a study has shown that without a change in the way the service is provided the council will not be able to achieve the statutory environmental target of 50% by 2020.

The increasing numbers of houses being built in Torridge and Holsworthy and a need to modernise the fleet of vehicles and the depots operated by the council will also bring cost pressures on the service, which will need to be addressed.

The proposals in outline include: Weekly recycling collection in boxes and bags with an enhancement to include additional mixed plastic materials; Weekly food waste collection on recycling vehicles; Fortnightly charged for garden waste collection offered to 100% of the district, with a charge of £35 per annum; Fortnightly non-recycled waste collection in black bags; A project to investigate depot options.

The new proposals include a significant extension to the range of materials that the council intend to add to its kerbside recycling collections including nearly all types of plastics with only the exception of black plastic.

The collection of food waste will also be made available to more households and not just those on the current garden waste collection rounds, which only covers 60% of the district at the moment.

A new sealed 23 litre caddy system has been designed so as not to attract vermin and should at the same time reduce the incidence of bags being ripped open by wildlife and domestic animals which has been an issue particularly in rural and coastal hotspots.

Garden waste collection will now be offered to the whole of the district at a charge of £35 per annum.

Torridge is the only authority in Devon to still collect black bag waste on a weekly basis, which research and evidence suggests has a restraining effect on the level of recycling.

The planned changes to a fortnightly black bag collection, while at the same time extending the range of plastics collected, and enhancing food waste and garden waste collections, are expected to have a positive effect on recycling rates, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in expensive and environmentally damaging landfill.

Anybody with a view on the changes can add their comments online at www.torridge.gov.uk/Consultations or pick up a leaflet from council reception points.

The consultation will run until March 31.