Waste management and recycling specialist, Hills Waste Solutions, has added four new refuse collection vehicles (RCV) to its 60 strong commercial fleet.

Ed Dodd, group director for Hills Waste Solutions, said: “Hills has an ongoing commitment to upgrade all our commercial collection vehicles to the more fuel efficient, economical and lower emission Euro 6 specification. The acquisition of these new vehicles is a significant investment for us and we are pleased to have achieved this target with 46 of the RCVs in our fleet so far.”

Nathan Carr, fleet manager for Hills Waste Solutions, said: “Our customers expect reliability when it comes to their waste management and recycling collections, so investing in an upgraded fleet of vehicles is important for us.”

All Hills vehicles have tablets in the cab that utilise the PURGO system to manage collection rounds. This has been a great step forward in how Hills manages its service as customers receive waste transfer notes, invoices and all other notifications electronically which saves time and the reduction in paper is better for the environment.

The new vehicles have a bespoke specification comprising a Dennis Olympus body, Beta trade lift and 26 tonne Mercedes Econic chassis on a 6×2 rear steer chassis which adds manoeuvrability and allows the vehicle access to sites that a normal 26 tonne RCV would struggle with.

From the driver’s perspective, the low seating position gives a great view of the road and pavements which is essential when moving around busy towns and roads. It also allows the driver to have direct eye contact with cyclists and pedestrians at junctions or in traffic queues.

The lower entry, walk-through air conditioned cab gives the crew easy access and allows them to enter and exit the cab onto the traffic-free side of the road.

“The trucks are fitted with additional LEDs, a Brigade 4-way recordable camera system and an audible left turn trigger alarm. Two additional low level lights have been fitted at a 45 degree angle from the rear of the cab to improve the operating environment for the driver and loader in low light environments and to aid reversing.”

The four vehicles will operate out of Hills’ two transport depots at Purton near Swindon and Lower Compton near Calne – servicing both commercial and industrial customers’ waste management requirements across the region.

Hills Homes’ latest development, Hillside, in the village of Blunsdon, has won the ‘Best New Large Housing Development’ award from Swindon Borough Council’s Building Control team.

The variety of house elevations, the layout of the houses, the technical design and quality of the built homes were all recognised as winning factors at the awards ceremony which took place on Wednesday 19 February.

The Building Control team awards local building companies each year for developments which have successfully met assessment criteria. The following aspects of a development are taken into account:

The quality of the design, drawing and information on application and timely provision of additional information to clear conditions through to full approval

•  Site layout and dwelling design and accessibility
• The site management and interactions with the Building Control Surveyors, notification of inspection requests, quality of works on site and compliance
• Site health and safety and housekeeping
• The overall finish and quality of the construction both internally and externally, and overall site appearance on completion.

Nick King, Group director Hills Homes says: “We are very proud to have won the ‘Best New Large Housing Development’ award from Swindon Borough Council. It recognises the dedication of our very knowledgeable team in planning and building excellent homes. Hillside has been a very popular development as buyers have been attracted to the high quality of the build and finishes. We have a longstanding, collaborative relationship with the Swindon Borough Council’s building control team and build homes which we are proud of.”

Hillside is a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes and features a children’s play area together with green spaces and allotments. Building commenced in 2017 and was completed last year, with the final occupant moving in just a few weeks ago.

Hills Homes will start to build its next development of 54 homes at The Paddocks in Broad Blunsdon this year.

Hills Homes’ latest development, Hillside, in the village of Blunsdon, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Best New Large Housing Development award by Swindon Borough Council’s Building Control team.

Swindon Borough Council’s Building Control team awards local building companies each year for developments which have successfully met assessment criteria. The following aspects of a development are taken into account:
The quality of the design, drawing and information on application and timely provision of additional information to clear conditions through to full approval

• Site layout and dwelling design and accessibility
• The site management and interactions with the Building Control Surveyors, notification of inspection requests, quality of works on site and compliance
• Site health and safety and housekeeping
• The overall finish and quality of the construction both internally and externally, and overall site appearance on completion.

Hillside is a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes and features a children’s play area together with green spaces and allotments. Building commenced in 2017 and was completed last year, with the final occupant moving in just a couple of weeks ago.

Nick King, Group director Hills Homes says: “We are proud to have our Hillside development recognised for an award by Swindon Borough Council. Hillside has been a very popular development as buyers have been attracted to the high quality of the build and finishes.. We have a longstanding, collaborative relationship with the Council’s building control team and build homes which we are proud of.”

The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 19 February.

Hills Homes will start to build its next development of 54 homes at The Paddocks in Broad Blunsdon this year.