A LACK of drivers has caused delays in collecting rubbish recently in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The driver shortage has been an issue across all of the UK and has again affected the Vale.

The Penarth Times asked the Vale of Glamorgan Council why the issue was not avoided and what is being done to prevent this in the future.

Cllr Mark Wilson, cabinet member for neighbourhood and building services, said: "The lack of seasonal staff is not unique to the Vale of Glamorgan.

"Other local authorities have been similarly affected, as have industries involved with food supplies, deliveries and airport travel.

"The national shortage in LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) drivers has caused disruption to the seasonal green waste collections in the Vale of Glamorgan, a service that solely relies on drivers that are provided by employment agencies and are not employed by the council.

"Unfortunately, this year, there have not been enough qualified drivers available within the industry to maintain this service.

"However, by recently reviewing market forces, the council now has enough drivers and spare provision to get the service back on track.

"For longer-term resilience the council is recruiting additional staff and training staff in-house to create a greater pool of LGV drivers all year-round.

"It is anticipated that the service will soon catch up and be back to normal.

"Residents can continue to check the council’s website and social media accounts for updates.

"We will continue to keep a watching brief over this matter."

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The issues began in May and continued through to this month.

It is not known exactly when the services will return to normal, though Cllr Anthony Ernest said on social media that it is expected to be resolved by the end of the month.