CROWNDALE Recycling Centre has long been a cause of frustration for residents — and this has not gone unnoticed by one county councillor who said she was looking at options to improve the site.

The centre on Crowndale Road in Tavistock has been the topic of conversation for many years with people frustrated over the amount of traffic it causes due to its ’unsuitable’ location resulting in substantial waiting times.

Owned by Devon County Council, the site came under scrutiny in August last year after residents slammed the traffic chaos on the road caused from queues at the recycling centre and called for something to be done.

At the time the county council said it would review the traffic situation.

But last week, Devon county councillor Debo Sellis told Tavistock Town Council members at their full council meeting on May 15, that the county council was trying to identify the site’s problems.

She said: ‘There have been some heartfelt opinions about the facility. It is still open but we do know that it’s far from satisfactory.’

Cllr Sellis added that she conducted a ‘secret shopper’ event at the site with the council’s Cabinet member responsible for waste, Cllr Andrea Davis, and found that she ‘only had to wait ten minutes’ but said that the council did need to ‘look at redesigning the site’.

‘We did a secret shop and then introduced ourselves and listened to what the operatives of the site were up against and it was clear that the situation was not good.

‘We are looking at options to improve the experience for our residents and the very experienced operatives suggested that the site could be rearranged, which would be the best option for the tax- payer and would be our first course of action.

‘I referred to the site as “little more than a tip” in 2009 and I don’t think there has been a significant improvement since I made those remarks in my county councillor election address.

‘What I have done is to lobby to keep the site to stay open — especially when sites were closed in Devon about seven years ago. It would be crazy for Tavistock not to have a site.’

But, in the meantime, Cllr Sellis asked for people to be patient and to take care when driving on Crowndale Road and using the site.