Out-of-date rubbish trucks that break down and struggle to fit through narrow streets will be ditched when a council gains control of emptying bins.

Current waste contractor Serco, which has been operating across Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable for 30 years, is deemed to be using dustcarts which are past it.

Therefore, when the council cuts its ties with the business and effectively brings waste services in-house, it will be ordering a fleet of replacement vehicles.

Come the start of February, the newly-formed Canterbury Environment Company - which will operate from Serco’s existing base in Wincheap - for which a logo has this week been revealed - will be collecting the district’s bins.

Top jobs at the firm, which has been specifically created by the council, are now being advertised, while much of the existing Serco workforce will be transferred over.

The trucks will not form part of the exchange, however, as the council seeks to obtain a more reliable fleet, with manoeuvrability to weave through narrow streets.

Authority leader Ben Fitter-Harding said: “We had all the trucks appraised and the state of the lorries says a lot about the bin collection service we’ve had. So we decided not to take on their vehicles.

“We’ll be getting a different fleet but it’ll be temporary while we look to get more environmentally-friendly vehicles.

“The whole project is going pretty well at the moment. It’s obviously going to take a while to get right but I’m excited about it and looking forward to welcoming the Serco staff to our team.”

Council spokesman Leo Whitlock says most of Serco’s dustcarts are “past their useful life” and prone to breakdowns.

“The knock-on effects are late or missed collections although the vast majority of residents have always received a reliable service,” he said.

“Add that to the fact some of the vehicles used by Serco are too large for some of the district’s streets and it is easy to see why the council is exploring its options.

“We are in the middle of what is known as the procurement process where suppliers compete on price and other factors for the contract to supply vehicles.

"As part of that process, much like most drivers today, we will decide whether it is most cost effective to buy new vehicles, lease them or a combination of the two.

“The benefits will be lower maintenance costs and, because they are more reliable, less need to hire vehicles at short notice at higher cost.”

The Canterbury Environment Company will operate from Serco’s existing base in Wincheap, behind Morrisons.

Head to our business page for all of the latest news about businesses in Kent.

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury