New waste centre will be base for for staff and vehicles

TORRIDGE District Council is coming up with plans for a new Operational Services Centre off Alverdiscott Road in East-theWater, Bideford.

The designs for the centre are being finalised ahead of a formal planning submission expected this month.

The proposed centre will provide office space for employees working in waste and recycling, street cleansing, CCTV, harbour services and grounds maintenance. The site will also include a vehicle workshop and parking for its vehicle fleet, as well as an educational resource centre. The centre will be an operational hub as opposed to a Waste Transfer Station as there will be no black bag domestic waste or processing of recycled material on site.

The wider project will also offer a new public trail and wildlife area, which will be developed in conjunction with the local primary school. As part of the wider community benefits, the project will also complete the link in the new cycle way on Manteo Way onto Alverdiscott Road, to further improve connectivity and road safety for residents.

The council showed residents details of the initial plans in early April at the Pollyfield Community Centre.

Torridge district councillor Chris Leather, lead member for operational services, said: “The new centre is now well overdue as the council currently operates across four very outdated and poorly serviced sites.

“The current facilities pre-date our responsibility to collect recyclable materials and the buildings are no longer suitable to manage the service effectively or for the needs of our staff. The newly designed site will enhance the way we operate and will offer a better and more modern working environment for our staff.”