WEST Devon Borough Council have pledged to meet to consider retaining the services of troubled recycling contractor FCC Environment after sister authority South Hams agreed to part ways with the company.

South Hams District Council’s executive decided on Tuesday to disengage from its relationship with the company after taking advice from the council’s Waste Working Group. The service has been beset with problems with missed collections over a long period of time.

A statement by the council said. ‘Both parties agree that the past few years have presented a number of extremely challenging circumstances. In the best interests of the residents of the South Hams, it is proposed that the services will be operated by the council from Monday, 3 October 2022.

‘We will work closely together to ensure a smooth transfer of the services, and keep you informed as we make progress.’

Meanwhile, in West Devon, the borough council’s hub committee agreed to recommending to its full council that the contractor, which provides recycling collections across West Devon, be retained, despite some problems with the service with missed collections blamed on driver shortages.

Cllr Neil Jory, leader of West Devon Borough Council said: ‘Today West Devon’s hub committee considered a report about our contract with FCC Environment for the recycling and waste services that they provide to the borough.

‘The recommendation that the hub committee is putting forward to the whole council is that FCC should continue to provide these services to West Devon, continuing our ten-year relationship. The full council will be considering that recommendation when they next meet on 19 July.’