Food waste collections in Reading will be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with other major projects including Green Park Station also set for delay.

Plans to introduce the extra bin collection service were announced in September as part of an ambition to increase recycling in Reading.

The food waste collection service was due to begin with five ‘early adopter areas’ – each covering around 500 homes – in July ahead of full rollout of the scheme in October 2020.

But this will now be delayed due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, with no alternative date yet planned.

Councillor Tony Page, lead member for environment at RBC, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The roll-out of food waste will be delayed. By how much, I wouldn’t like to say at this stage.

“We are still committed to doing pilots but they will not now start in June or July. The likelihood of them happening in the summer is receding.”

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RBC expects food waste collection will increase recycling rates to 43.5per cent and save £107,000 per year.

You can read more about the food waste plans here.

Swimming pools and new train station set for more delay

Other projects set for delay include swimming pools at Palmer Park and Rivermead, which you can read more about here, and the new Green Park train station.

The station had been set to open in late 2020.

On Green Park Station, Cllr Page said: “Green Park is obviously going to be delayed. You can confidently put delayed against pretty much every project. The question is by how much.

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"Safe socially distanced work is still going on down there but there are supply difficulties because suppliers aren’t working.

“When we get back to more normal times we will be looking to extend the hours of work.”