Extra staff are being taken on to help make Teignbridge council’s waste and recycling services more reliable.
Teignbridge Council is investing in seven new staff, which it says will help it respond to the growing number of homes in the district and longer collection rounds as well as covering for staff shortages.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the council’s executive committee, where Cllr Peter Williams (Lib Dem, Teignmouth East) said: “We have listened to our residents and are taking clear action.”
The council will hire three drivers and four crew members to help get more rounds done on time and cut the need for overtime.
Cllr Williams, the executive member for environmental services, added: “This major investment in our collection staff will help us provide the reliable service residents expect.
“Our crews work hard in difficult conditions. The extra staff will strengthen the team, help cover absences and meet growing demand across the district.”
The plan follows a detailed review of collection performance during 2026 which found several areas where extra support would make a difference.
More than 5,400 new homes have been built in the district since 2014, increasing demand for waste and recycling collections.
The seven posts will cost £158,678, and the council will pay for them from its existing waste service budget in 2026/27.
Some money set aside for plastic film collections is available because the government has delayed that requirement until 2030.
Cllr Williams said senior officers and councillors would track performance as the new staff joined the service, with the expectation that collections will be more reliable and more than 90 per cent of them will run on time.
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