Will North Devon’s trade waste collections be scrapped by council?

Nearly 2,000 businesses in North Devon could be forced to look at new arrangements for their trade waste if the district council makes a decision in the new year to scrap collections.

North Devon Council is facing a dilemma as the service is running at a loss of £67,000, which is set to increase next year unless it raises charges by at least 20 per cent.

Council officers told a strategy and resources committee meeting this week that in addition to the rise in charges ‘just to break even’ the authority would also need to replace a recycling vehicle and it was running out of space at its depot.

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The service is non-statutory, meaning that the council does not have to provide it, unlike domestic waste collections which it must provide.

Private companies also pick up trade waste, but the cost is higher as the service is not subsidised.

Chief executive of North Devon Council Ken Miles said the council could not continue to run the service at a loss or it would be ‘a millstone around our necks’.

The difference between income and expenditure is expected to rise to more than £200,000 in 2026/27 if the council does nothing.

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, which North Devon said it could not do logistically without significant investment in the Brynsworthy Environment Centre and staffing.

By March 2027 all businesses will have to have separate food collections by law.

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’.

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Braunton and Ilfracombe councillors raised concerns as they believed it could put some struggling small businesses, particularly those in the tourism industry which the area relied on, in a very difficult position and lead to an increase in fly-tipping.

They said that there were some parts of North Devon where there were very few private companies collecting waste.

Council leader David Clayton said deferring the decision for a month gave councillors time to ask more questions around this issue. Any changes would not come into effect before the new financial year in April.

The trade waste service in North Devon has been running for 20 years and is split between trade refuse and trade recycling, with a total of around 1,800 customers.