One of the biggest buildings owned by the council does no recycling at all, it has emerged.

Bourne Hall, in Ewell, owned by Epsom and Ewell Council, does not currently have recycling bins and its staff and visitors throw all their rubbish in the same containers.

The building, in Spring Street, opened in 1970 and houses a museum, a library and cafe, function rooms and landscaped gardens.

A source, who knows the venue well, said: “All paper, glass, plastic and food from catering go to the same place. It’s all treated as general waste.

“It’s unbelievable that most residents are really careful with their home rubbish, but the council doesn’t care about separating their waste to recycle.”

Epsom Council is said to be on course to have one of the highest waste recycling rates in the country, but does not yet separate or collect recycling refuse from its own back garden.

The council claimed it already allocated £60,000 for “energy efficiency at Bourne Hall, of which recycling is a part” and that “plans are being drawn up for the best way forward.”

A spokeswoman for Epsom Council said: “We did have recycling facilities at Bourne Hall until January 2009, when we had to temporarily suspend them due to antisocial behaviour. People were fly tipping and contaminating the recycling by putting the wrong items in the bins. We will resume this service by October.

“We are now offering trade waste opportunities to customers and will be extending this to Bourne Hall later in the financial year.”

Bourne Hall has seven meeting halls which are used for conferences, weddings and wedding receptions, fairs, recitals, meetings and parties. Its main hall has a capacity for up to 300 people.

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