The Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss proposed changes to waste service delivery arrangements. A key focus will be the planned closure of household recycling centres at Purton and Lower Compton from August 2026.

Changes to Waste Service Delivery Arrangements

The meeting is scheduled to include a presentation and discussion regarding significant changes to waste service delivery arrangements. This includes the proposed closure of the household recycling centres (HRCs) at Purton and Lower Compton from August 2026. The report pack details that these sites are provider-owned and that Hills Waste Services Ltd has identified significant increases in contract costs for their operation. The council is proposing to delay investment into these sites for the first year of an extended contract to allow for public feedback on their closure.

The report pack outlines that the council's Cabinet, on 9 December 2025, considered a report on Future Waste Service Delivery Arrangements Future Waste Service Delivery Arrangements - Report to Cabinet 9 December.pdf. This report detailed proposals for a significant transformation of waste and recycling services, aiming to increase the recycling rate and move towards zero landfill by 2030. Key proposals included:

• Formation of Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCOs): The formation of public-to-public LATCO partnerships with Participant 1 for kerbside waste and recycling collection services and Participant 2 for Material Recovery Facility (MRF) services, both from August 2026.
• Contract Extensions: Awarding contract extensions to FCC Waste Services (UK) Ltd for the operation of eight council-owned HRCs until July 2034. However, for the two provider-owned HRCs at Purton and Lower Compton, operated by Hills Waste Services Ltd, the proposal was not to take up the extension option and to close these sites from August 2026.
• Waste Transfer and Disposal: Awarding contract extensions to Hills Waste Solutions Ltd for waste transfer stations until June 2033 and for the disposal of non-recyclable residual waste until July 2034.
• Garden Waste Composting: Awarding a contract extension to Hills Waste Solutions Ltd for garden waste composting until July 2034.
• Cost Mitigation Proposals: These include retaining the current twin-stream recycling collection system, introducing bagged flexible plastics collections from 2027, and gathering public feedback on changing residual waste collections from fortnightly to three-weekly in 2027. Public feedback will also be sought on the closure of the Purton and Lower Compton HRCs and the implementation of an online booking system for a trial at other sites.

The report pack also indicates that the council is looking to draw upon external Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) funding to deliver the waste transformation programme.

The agenda for the meeting Agenda frontsheet Tuesday 20-Jan-2026 18.30 Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board.pdf states that a presentation by Cabinet Members will explain the reasons for these changes, followed by a session for frequently asked questions and an opportunity for members of the public to ask further questions.