From South Hams District Council

Garden Waste Collections in the South Hams

South Hams District Council has agreed that residents wanting to have garden waste collections should be charged £49 per year from spring 2023, with the current service to end on 31 October.

Against the backdrop of rising costs and continued national driver shortages, the Full Council came to the decision yesterday (22 September) to cease the existing service and launch a paid subscription service next spring.

The Council has been looking at every option to ensure that the core waste and recycling collection service can remain as smooth as possible when it comes back in-house on 3 October.

As well as easing financial pressures, ceasing the garden waste collection service from 31 October will also ease pressure on the core waste and recycling collections, helping to keep those as stable as possible in the early months of the transition. The Council will empty all brown bins on their last collection day in October.

For many years the Council had been able to provide the garden waste service without charging a subscription fee but doing so from spring 2023 will bring them in line with most other districts in Devon, who already charge for garden waste collections. Plymouth City Council recently took the decision to end their garden waste collections early this year to ease their own budget pressures.

What does this mean for residents?

The garden waste collection service as it exists now will cease on 31 October.

In the coming days, residents will be sent a letter with further information, including how to sign up to the new paid subscription service, once it is available.

For those who decide to not sign up for the service, they can take their garden waste to all three recycling centres in the South Hams. Full details, including opening hours, are available online here: www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre

Alternatively, people can find out more on home composting possibilities here: www.recycledevon.org/in-the-garden/how-to-compost

From Devon County Council, on behalf of the government

 

Bank holiday announced for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral

The government has announced that Monday 19 September, the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral, will be a national bank holiday.

This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate Her reign, if they wish to, while marking the final day of the period of national mourning.

Please visit the government’s website for more information.

From South Hams District Council

South Hams District Councillors are to consider whether the Council should cease its free garden waste collection service from 31 October and start charging £49 per year for an 11 month fortnightly garden waste collection service from spring 2023.

Against the backdrop of rising costs and continued driver shortages nationally, the Council is looking at every option to ensure that the core waste and recycling collection service can remain as smooth as possible when it comes back in-house on 3 October.

The Council will inherit increased operating costs and have to contend with inflation in the price of fuel and wages, as well the need for additional resources. Introducing a charge for the garden waste collections – a discretionary service, not a statutory one – would ease the overall cost pressures on the Council.

As well as easing financial pressures, ceasing the free service from 31 October would also ease pressure on the core waste and recycling collections, helping to keep those as stable as possible in the early months of the transition.

Previously the Council has not charged for the service, but if the Council decides to do this in future, it would bring them in line with most other districts in Devon, who already charge for garden waste collections. Plymouth City Council recently took the decision to end their garden waste collections early this year to ease their own budget pressures.

Councillors will consider the decision at next week’s meeting of the South Hams Executive on 15 September. Should the Executive agree to the plans, they will be deliberated for final approval at South Hams’ Full Council meeting on 22 September.

Cllr Keith Baldry, South Hams Executive Member for the Environment, said: “When the Council decided to bring the waste service back in-house, that comes with the reality of increased costs. With such high inflation, we’ve been left with no choice but to consider every way we can to balance the budget.

“A paid garden waste collection is one way we might be able to achieve that. As well as balancing the books though, this is also about ensuring that our statutory services, the core waste and recycling collections, can run as well as they possibly can when the service comes back in-house.

“However, we want to keep running the current free service into the autumn, so that our residents have a chance to clear their gardens ahead of the colder months ahead.

“Compared to what private companies charge for collections, a £49 annual fee represents good value for money.

“Stopping the free service in November and replacing it with a paid service in the spring are steps that the Executive will carefully consider next week. This will not be an easy decision either way and one that residents can know will be taken with the utmost thought and deliberation.”

Residents can take their garden waste to all three recycling centres in the South Hams. Full details, including opening hours, are available online here: https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre/

The Council is also investing £200,000 in new community composting sites, which should offer many residents an alternative to garden waste collection, and potentially lower the environmental impact of the collection service.

The Executive will debate the topic at their meeting on 15 September at 10 a.m. You can watch the meeting live on the Council’s Facebook page and YouTube channel:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southhamsdistrictcouncil
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SouthHamsCouncil

Keep up to date on the latest here: https://southhams.gov.uk/recyclingwaste

An urgent message to all residents, part-time homeowners, campsites, and businesses in the parish:

National and local government guidance, backed up by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, urges everyone to be vigilant and not burn bonfires or light BBQs on beaches, cliff-tops or fields until further notice.

All our beaches are private and require visitors to respect the notices forbidding fires, camping and overnight stays.

The use of single throw-away BBQs is irresponsible and risks injury to others as well as potentially devastating fire damage.

Please make clear to your visitors and customers that they should not be used.

Glass and other refuse dumped on our beaches and lanes is an added hazard to health and safety. Everyone should take rubbish home if it cannot be safely disposed of in public waste bins.

We all wish to enjoy our beautiful parish and continue to welcome visitors to the area. Please help ensure we are all safe and secure this summer by taking responsibility for our actions and those of others.

East Portlemouth Parish Council

The Public Rights of Way Warden of Devon Highways and Traffic Management has informed us that there will be a temporary closure at the northern end of Wood Lane, from Monday 11th July until Friday 15th July, to enable contractors to repair the wash out from recent storms. The official notice states:

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ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

 SECTION 14

 DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL

 TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC

DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL hereby gives NOTICE that:

From:  MONDAY, 11^th JULY 2022

To:      FRIDAY, 15^th JULY 2022 both dates inclusive.

No persons and/or horse riders shall proceed on the following public right of way except for access to land or premises on or adjacent to that length of way.

Public right of way affected:
PUBLIC BRIDLEWAY NO. 21, EAST PORTLEMOUTH aka Wood Lane, from its junction with the South Pool to Goodshelter Cross Road to its junction with East Portlemouth Public Bridleway No. 23 – see red dashes on the adjacent plan.

The closure is necessary to enable repairs to the Bridleway surface to be undertaken safely.

The restriction shall remain in force for the above period or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner.

There is no reasonable alternative route.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Paul McFadden on 0345 155 1004

Dated: 7^th July 2022

Click here for a map showing East Portlemouth BR 21 Closure Plan.