Delays To Swale's Waste And Recycling Collections

Swale Borough Council have confirmed that there may be delays to waste and recycling collections as more members of staff are having to self-isolate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A spokesperson told SFM News that the council "have proactive plans in place for this type of occasion" and that additional staff were being brought in to help, but that there may still be an impact on collections and street cleansing over the next few weeks.

Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for environment at the council, told SFM listeners: “Our contractors have clear processes in place to keep their staff safe, and if a crew member tests positive, those who work closely with them have to self-isolate to make sure there is no risk of further infection. With the high number of cases across the borough, we all need to make sure we are doing all we can to stop the spread of the virus. In this case, that may unfortunately mean some disruption to our collections, for which we apologise. If your waste or recycling is not collected on the day you expected, please leave it out and we will get to it as soon as we can including where needed on weekends.”

For information on the council’s work during the pandemic, visit www.swale.gov.uk/coronavirus.