A DISGRUNTLED resident has slated the service at Backwell Recycling Centre, claiming his recycling was taken to landfill.

The Congresbury man, who does not wish to be named, says he took some waste wood to the site at Coles Quarry in Church Town but as the skips were full he was told instead to put the items in the back of a lorry.

When another woman turned up and was told to put her cardboard waste into the same lorry, they demanded to know why the items were not being separated and recycled.

The Congresbury resident said: “I was told by a member of staff that because of complaints from neighbours they are not allowed to use the big machine to crush it any more.

“He said once the skips are full they’ve got three distribution lorries on permanent location and whenever someone turns up with recycling they are told to put it in the lorry, whatever it is, and it goes to landfill.

“I’m annoyed that I pay council tax for this and they are just dumping it in landfill. We’ve paid for this recycling centre, but they are now not using it properly.”

People living near the site have been complaining to the council for years about the noise nuisance, which had even been know to disrupt church services. Residents claimed the nuisance came from the noise of the compactor and moving the skips around the site.

North Somerset Council, which runs the site, has confirmed staff are no longer using the compactor at the site, but stress that none of the waste is sent to landfill.

A spokesman said: “We have stopped using the compactor at Backwell Recycling Centre, due to a noise issue.

“While this is being resolved we are putting in alternative arrangements such as extra skips for recycling. All recyclable waste taken to the centre will be recycled and will not be going to landfill.

“Staff on site have been told to advise people that this is the case. In addition, our area officers will make site inspections to ensure that all operations are being carried out correctly. Residents can continue to use the centre as normal.”