Councillor says SHDC is "preventing" transparency in recycling issues

While we are looking into a story about the chaos caused by the rollout of the new recycling system, a councillor has come out to say that South Hams District Council is "preventing" transparency in the issue. 

We are currently looking into the chaos caused by the rollout of the new 'Super Recycling' system across the South Hams, talking to residents and others, and awaiting a statement from SHDC about the situation, but as we wait, South Hams District Councillor Julian Brazil has dropped a bombshell. 

He posted publicly on social media on Saturday afternoon, saying: "Apologies to everyone who has suffered from the shambolic new recycling system. Unfortunately you are not alone. Eventually SHDC did issue us (elected councillors) with a position statement. Rather shamefully they have said this needs to be kept confidential.

"We take a different view and my colleague Cllr John Birch asked that the issue be taken as an urgent item at the Full Council meeting on Thursday. Once again SHDC have refused for this issue to be discussed in public. Not to be defeated John has called for an extraordinary full council meeting supported by enough councillors to force the issue.

"We did not want to do this but SHDC's continued attempts to prevent you, as council tax payers, from seeing what is going on in an open and transparent way will not be tolerated.

"The most disappointing thing is the residents of the South Hams have always supported recycling. We did have some of the highest rates in the Country. Now with the latest fiasco some residents are just giving up.

"You deserve better."

South Hams District Council has not responded immediately for a request for comment, and we will release our full story and update this one as soon as we hear anything from them.