Kingsbridge In Bloom are celebrating their tenth year and have unveiled their new composting facility.

Kingsbridge in Bloom, Kingsbridge Town Council, South Hams District Council, Devon County Council and Rory Sanders Plant Hire have worked together to make the much-needed composting facility a reality.

Considerable green waste is generated in Kingsbridge by the District Council’s grounds maintenance team alongside an enormous effort from Kingsbridge in Bloom volunteers.

As Kingsbridge Town Councillor Graham Price, Chairman of Kingsbridge in Bloom, explains: “It came to light that there was nowhere within the town boundary where we could dispose of all of the green waste we were generating.

“This meant that both teams had to make daily trips in the spring and summer months to the nearest recycling centre at Torr Quarry.

“The upshot of installing this new facility in the Recreation Ground means that we don’t need to travel as a neglected compound, which was not utilised to its full potential, can now be used to store organic waste.

“This then comes full circle as it can be composted down and re-used in the town’s flower beds and amenity spaces. It’s a win-win situation.”

Works are now complete on converting the redundant grounds maintenance compound into a composting and organic waste storage facility in time for the spring and summer months.

County and district councillor Rufus Gilbert said: “I truly believe that partnership working can do wonders for a town, and this just goes to prove that if all parties co-operate, you can accomplish a great deal.

“The council’s Grounds Maintenance team and Kingsbridge in Bloom all contribute to making Kingsbridge an attractive and thriving town and this is a fitting tribute to a decade of hard work. May it continue well into the future.”

The new facility will do much to improve the disposal of the councils’ and the in Bloom team’s green waste in Kingsbridge, making for a much greener environment in the town.

County and district councillor Julian Brazil added: “We can support various projects through funding but it’s great if we can get behind community groups who are actively trying to improve their local environment.

“Without Kingsbridge in Bloom, this sort of thing just wouldn’t happen, so I am delighted that we were able to fund a project where community involvement is improving the town in the long term.”

Land was cleared and recycled wooden sleepers have created a four bay composting area for woodchip, cut material, fresh compost and old compost. Signage explaining the rules of composting have also been added. The bays were installed by H2Environmental with grounds clearance actioned by Rory Sanders and Cuming Containers.

District councillor Keith Wingate said: “I’m extremely proud of what Kingsbridge in Bloom do and I’m really pleased to be able to help them in this way. We’re always looking for new ways to reuse and recycle, and this will not only do that, but it will rejuvenate the town’s flower beds and make Kingsbridge an even more attractive town.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what can be achieved with the new composting facility.”

Funding for the project was awarded from county and district councillors Julian Brazil and Rufus Gilbert’s Investing In Devon Local Project Fund, district councillor Keith Wingate’s Sustainable Community Locality Fund, Kingsbridge Town Council and payment-in-kind from Rory Sanders.