Bulky waste collections will return this month following staff shortages.

Residents are now able to book slots to have furniture and large appliances collected for disposal on the Wychavon District Council website.

The service has been unavailable since last July when it was stopped due to the impact of "severe" labour shortages in the waste sector nationally, which affected Wychavon’s contractor FCC Environment.

Cllr Emma Stokes, executive board member for resident and customer services, said: “I am grateful to residents for the patience they have shown while we took the necessary step to suspend our bulky waste collections, so we could protect the emptying of waste and recycling bins.

“I understand how inconvenient this has been as I recently bought a new sofa and have had to store it in my back garden while I wait for the service to restart.

“Thankfully the efforts made by FCC Environment are paying off and we are now able to take bookings for bulky waste collections again.

“Unlike some other councils, our crews have continued to empty waste and recycling bins as normal throughout the pandemic, despite the pressures in the labour market and the impact of Covid-19.

“I would like to thank all FCC Environment staff for their hard work, dedication and commitment to our residents.”

Up and down the country councils have been struggling with a lack of HGV drivers, which led to disruption to waste and recycling collections with some councils forced to stop separate recycling collections.

In Wychavon, bulky waste collections were suspended so that staff could be reallocated to protect other waste and recycling services.

Wychavon and FCC Environment have been reviewing the situation on a weekly basis and are now confident the bulky waste collection service can be restarted without risking disrupton to waste and recycling collections.

Brian Ashby, Head of Municipal Collections and Street Scene for FCC Environment, added: “Throughout the pandemic, FCC Environment has been focused on ensuring the residents of Wychavon continue to receive recycling and waste collection services but due to staffing issues, both in relation to long-term recruitment and Covid-19 absences, we had to be realistic.

“With Covid-19 restrictions lifting in recent weeks we now have flexibility to be able to reinstate those services which we had to withdraw temporarily, but we still need qualified drivers - and indeed loaders - to join our skilled team. So, if you are looking for a rewarding role, please do get in touch with us.”