TORBAY GET’S TIDY!!

Many households have been facing huge delays in their recycling and refuse collections over the past number of months, with litter covering the streets of the Bay. This has led to many people having issues with wildlife scavenging for food and creating a shower of litter across the streets of Torbay (not to mention a terrible stench).

A number of weeks ago Priti Patel, the Home Secretary was formally asked to ‘step in and help’ by the leader of Torbay Council, Steve Darling. Finally, we are seeing results as the streets of Torbay are being cleared and cleaned back to a satisfactory standard.

The Covid pandemic has brought along with it a shortage of drivers due to refuse drivers contracting Covid and having to self-isolate as well as many seeing the job as ‘too much of a risk’ against Coronavirus, with many having young children and families to support and not wanting to put them at risk.

Sadly, there have been a number of people who have taken matters into their own hands to dispose of their rubbish, and the Bay has seen a spike in the figures relating to ‘fly tipping’ believed to be caused by the lack of collections with people so frustrated with the sheer amount of uncollected refuse that, at their ‘Wit’s end’ have resorted to disposing of their litter wherever they can. This has let to certain areas of the Bays ‘areas of natural beauty’ becoming unpleasant places to visit with litter being dumped.

Torbay Council owned company SWISCo have been under tremendous pressure to clear the backlog and the Council leader even issued a plea for Managers who have HGV/LGV licenses to ‘jump in the wagons’ to help the severe, dire situation.

The leader of the Council said “We are getting there, but we are not quite there yet” and has made an appeal for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in HGV/LGV driving to get in contact with SWISCo, who are offering training courses to assist people to gain the necessary licence to drive the heavy-duty collection lorries.

Anyone wishing to take the Council up on the training offer is asked to make contact directly with SWISCo, who will provide the necessary information and arrange training where applicable.