Yesterday, the council said that all bin collections it undertakes, including household and commercial waste, had been halted as its license was revoked by the Traffic Commissioner.
As explained by letsrecycle.com, it had been said this was down to the departure of a transport manager, though this was not confirmed at the time (see letsrecycle.com story).
In an update for today, the council outlined that bin collections will remain halted, but contingency measures are being drafted. The private sector, agency staff and nearby councils could be asked for help.
Training
The latest update from the council on Instagram regarding today’s disruption said: “Under the terms of the licence, an organisation must have a qualified transport manager in place. A member of staff has undertaken the required training and tests following the departure of the former staff member who held the qualification.
“Unfortunately, we did not properly regularise our position sufficiently promptly in this interim period and as a result we have now had to submit a new application after our licence was formally revoked earlier this week.
“In the meantime, contingency plans are being prepared to ensure that collections can resume as soon as possible. We appreciate residents’ understanding, are sorry for the inconvenience this is causing, and we will provide a further update tomorrow.”
Transport manager
Traffic Commissioners are responsible for the licensing and regulation of those who operate heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, and the registration of local bus services.
The Commissioner outlined that a transport manager works for an operator to ensure that its vehicles are roadworthy and drivers comply with traffic and drivers’ hours rules.
If an operator of an HGV fleet, such as the collection authority Uttlesford, does not have a transport manager then it will be in contravention of license requirements.
A spokesperson told letsrecycle.com: ” Our records show that Uttlesford District Council held a standard national operator’s licence authorising the use of 34 vehicles, the licence was revoked on 23 January 2024.
“One of the statutory requirements to hold a standard national operator’s licence is professional competence, this is usually met by a transport manager who holds a Certificate of Professional Competence.
“The Traffic Commissioner was notified that the transport manager had resigned from the role on 31 July 2023. Without a transport manager the Traffic Commissioner is required to revoke the operator’s licence. As a result, the council requested a period of time to rectify the issue whilst continuing the operate without a transport manager.
“The Traffic Commissioner granted this request until 13 January 2024 so that a new transport manager could be appointed. This date passed without a transport manager being appointed or a request to extend the deadline further, as a result the Traffic Commissioner was required by law to revoke the operator’s licence. The maximum period a Period of Grace can be extended to is six month but no extension was requested.
“Once the Traffic Commissioner has made a decision to revoke an operator’s licence, there is a right to appeal the decision. Alternatively, the Council may wish to apply for another operators’ licence and demonstrate that they meet the statutory requirements. When applying for an operator’s licence, an applicant can request an interim licence be granted to enable them to start operating whilst the application is being determined.”
Service
The council has been run by the Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) party since 2019 and serves around 90,000 residents.
It recorded a 51.8% recycling rate in 2021/22 and runs an in-house service.
This is still ongoing. Spoke to my local Councillor on Saturday, he still has no info. Not had a collection for weeks now