Mary King opens recycling depot near Sidmouth

Olympic medalist Mary King opens new recycling depot near Sidmouth

OLYMPIC three-day event medallist Mary King, who stables her horses at Salcombe Regis, opened East Devon District Council’s state-of-the-art recycling and waste depot at Greendale Business Park, Woodbury, last Thursday.

Mary is pictured with a life-sized model horse, made entirely from scrap metal found around Bicton by sculptor Lindy Martin, a learning support staff member at Bicton College.

The new depot brings under one roof all of the waste and recycling operations run by the council’s contractor SITA.

The Honiton depot has closed and all 100 members of staff have moved to the new complex.

With the new �1.5 million facility up and running, SITA is managing its entire East Devon operation from Greendale Barton Business Park.

Councillor David Cox, EDDC’s portfolio holder, StreetScene, said the council’s phased approach to recycling was pushing its success rate up to some 40 percent with more to come with Exmouth and the western end of the district going live this autumn.

He said: “It’s only right that our new service has a state-of-the-art building as a base where the expanding operation can grow.

“Our aim for East Devon’s weekly waste collection service is to achieve a Gold Medal service. That’s why it’s appropriate for the new depot to be opened by a top horsewoman who knows a gold medal when she sees one!”