Holiday Home Waste Collection
“Commercial waste disposal is expensive and has to be done properly to comply with all the relevant environmental rules,” he said. “Cornwall has many small holiday businesses who will really struggle with this.”
Government regulations introduced in 2012 gave local councils the power to treat holiday homes and campsites as “commercial” operators for the purposes of waste collection. But Cornwall Council has continued to regard it as household waste, and disposed of it free of charge – until now.
Among the businesses to be studied are:
Hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation and guesthouses
Campsites and caravan parks
Self-catering accommodation
Restaurants and other catering companies
Bars, clubs and public houses
Sports clubs, leisure centres and other leisure facilities
Activity centres offering outdoor activities and adventure sports
Tourist attractions.
If the Port Isaac project is successful, it will be extended throughout Cornwall. “I fear there’s the law of unintended consequences, and there’s also a law of bloody obvious consequences,” said Mr Bell. “Our members are already under enormous pressure as a result of new legislation governing the national minimum wage, but worst of all the council hasn’t spoken to us about any of this.