Gloucestershire-based hire firm CTS Hire is providing eight brand new recycling vehicles to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council to support its new in-house recycling service which was launched in April 2018.

Caroline Roffey, head of street scene services at Hinckley & Bosworth, said: 'We are making the service easier for residents by changing from dual stream to fully co-mingled collections but using the same blue lidded bins.

'We needed suitable vehicles immediately to help us deliver the new service while we wait for our permanent replacement fleet which will be in place during September'

The temporary fleet includes five Dennis Elite 6 26t trucks in 6x4 configured chassis with Olympus bodies and three Dennis Olympus 21 Elite 26t vehicles in 6x2 configuration with midlifts, all fitted with Terberg OmniDEL bin lifts.

All the vehicles are fitted with the latest safety technology, such as cyclist safety warning devices.

Earlier this year the council went out to tender for its waste and recycling fleet and awarded the new contract, which commences in September 2018, to contract hire and fleet management company Specialist Fleet Services Ltd (SFS).

The new contract involves the provision of a minimum of 20 vehicles including refuse collection vehicles, sweepers, hook loaders and box vans.

CTS Hire, the municipal hire division of SFS, stepped in to provide interim hire vehicles for the new co-mingled recycling collections while the council waits for the new fleet to arrive.

Caroline Roffey added: 'We are very grateful to CTS for providing us with brand-new vehicles so quickly to help us deliver our new service. They are the exact same specification as our new fleet so there will be a smooth transition when the permanent vehicles arrive'

Bob Sweetland, managing director of CTS Hire, said: 'We are delighted to assist Hinckley & Bosworth by providing vehicles for its in-house recycling service. It's a great example of how SFS and CTS work well together, creating bespoke solutions to help meet the individual needs of different local authorities.

'CTS has a continual influx of new stock and these vehicles are part of our latest investment programme'