24 January 2018 - Spring launch for East Devon’s new green waste fortnightly collection service - East Devon
This follows on from an announcement late last year:
8 September 2017 - East Devon to explore district-wide chargeable garden waste collection service - East Devon
This was just days after it seemed that the community recycling group Otter Rotters were back in business:
Otter Rotters back out on the streets... but is it a last hurrah? - View from Ottery
Otter Rotters is a part of a Devon-wide network:
Otter Rotters | Devon Community Recycling Network
Otter Rotters - Home | Facebook
However, it is clear that the District Council is keen to expand its own recycling services - and so has stopped supporting this community project:
Cllr Claire Wright with the Otter Rotters team in 2015
All this is a great shame, considering the group's accolades:
Futures Forum: Otter Rotters: moving to a new site and winning an award
Futures Forum: Otter Rotters: moving on and moving in
And the fact that it has employed ‘people who would struggle to find employment in the conventional workplace’:
Futures Forum: Support Otter Rotters as cuts threaten their existence >>> 'at the forefront of green waste recycling' and 'providing valuable work opportunities'
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Otter Rotters | Devon Community Recycling Network
Otter Rotters - Home | Facebook
However, it is clear that the District Council is keen to expand its own recycling services - and so has stopped supporting this community project:
Council decide to not renew contract with Otter Rotters for garden waste collection
PUBLISHED: 07:00 15 September 2017
Cllr Claire Wright with the Otter Rotters team in 2015
An Ottery community enterprise says with support it will try to adapt to ‘obstructive red tape’ after its contract was not renewed to provide a garden waste collection service.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) made the announcement, after its recycling and waste partnership board agreed not to extend an expired contract with Otter Rotters Ltd.
EDDC is hoping to offer residents a fortnightly garden waste collection service, which would be provided by its recycling and waste contractors SUEZ. It says it will investigate the feasibility of providing the service for a small annual fee.
An EDDC spokesperson said: “Many councils across the country successfully operate a chargeable collection service such as this and East Devon is keen to continue to improve its recycling and waste service by introducing this new initiative.”
On the subject of Otter Rotters Ltd, the spokesperson added: “There has been no formal agreement between the council and Otter Rotters Ltd since April 2016 and Otter Rotters Ltd confirmed to the council’s partnership board that it dissolved in February this year and was not currently operating.”
Following the announcement, Otter Rotters said on Facebook it would look to revise its structure and get back to work.
The group said: “If you would like to see the Otter Rotter scheme stay in place please stay in touch. Otter Rotters is a community scheme and will update its constitution to enable it to adapt to the various changes brought about by obstructive red tape.
“It was constituted as a membership although we have not run subs for years. Would people be willing to reinstate a membership fee/crowd fund to enable Otter Rotters to revise its structure and get back to work unencumbered by hoop jumping?”
Councillor Tom Wright, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said that the council appreciated the work of Otter Rotters Ltd and its value to the community, particularly as they had provided opportunities to disadvantaged people.
He said the council had been trying to pay Otter Rotters Ltd for some time for the work they had already carried out, but attempts to pay were being hampered as the group was no longer operating.
Cllr Wright added: “The council now needs to look to the future and meet the demand for a much-wanted regular and reliable garden waste collection service. We have been approached by many residents asking us to help them. There is obviously a gap in the market and we are keen to move forward and explore this opportunity. We want to ensure that, among other things, this proposed service is sustainable in the long term, must cover its costs without being subsidised by the council tax payer, and operates across all areas of East Devon. Our residents can rest assured that we will keep them fully informed of our progress.”
Council decide to not renew contract with Otter Rotters for garden waste collection | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth HeraldAll this is a great shame, considering the group's accolades:
Futures Forum: Otter Rotters: moving to a new site and winning an award
Futures Forum: Otter Rotters: moving on and moving in
And the fact that it has employed ‘people who would struggle to find employment in the conventional workplace’:
Futures Forum: Support Otter Rotters as cuts threaten their existence >>> 'at the forefront of green waste recycling' and 'providing valuable work opportunities'
.
.
.
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