Horsham's refurbished bin lorries were meant to last six more years. Breakdowns are now disrupting rounds, so the council plans to buy nine new ones for £2.2m.

Horsham District Council wants to spend up to £2.2 million on nine new bin lorries, because older ones it rebuilt four years ago keep breaking down. Its own report says the breakdowns are affecting whether crews can finish their rounds (report to Cabinet, 18 November 2026).

The order is for eight 26-tonne lorries and one 16-tonne lorry. All nine would run on HVO, a diesel substitute made from vegetable oil, like the lorries they replace.

The refurbishment that did not last

In November 2022, Cabinet chose to refurbish 22 of the council’s bin lorries rather than buy new diesel or HVO ones. The aim was to keep them going for at least six more years. By then, the council hoped, electric or hydrogen lorries would be good enough to buy instead.

The new report says plainly: “This has not been the case.” Seven of the refurbished lorries have already been replaced. The nine in this order are the next to go.

The report lists what the breakdowns are doing:

  • they affect the council’s ability to complete rubbish and recycling rounds “as required”
  • mechanics in the workshop are falling behind on scheduled repairs and inspections, because broken lorries come first
  • crews’ morale is suffering, because they cannot do the job as they would like

The council’s own measure of missed collections was still rated green in the latest quarter (performance report, quarter 2 2026/27).

Why not repair them again, or lease?

The report considered both and rejected them:

  • Repairing them again comes with “no guarantee that this will work”, based on the council’s experience so far.
  • Leasing is described as costly, with doubts about whether hired lorries would be reliable enough to cover every round.

Maintenance on the current lorries averages about £6,000 per vehicle a year, and the council expects new ones to cost less to keep running. The old lorries will be sold at auction. In its latest budget update the council already notes that maintenance costs are lower than planned since earlier new lorries arrived (budget update, November 2026).

And the electric one?

The council is also buying its first electric bin lorry, approved on 30 September for £475,000 (our story). The new report says that lorry will be trialled for a year on the rounds, in all weathers. Only then will the council decide on chargers and depot space for more.

The fleet has also grown. In 2022 it had 22 lorries of 15 to 26 tonnes. It now has 45 vehicles, from 7.5 to 26 tonnes, the report says.

What happens next

  • 2 November: the Finance and Performance Policy and Scrutiny Committee looks at the draft report (agenda).
  • 18 November: Cabinet decides whether to buy the lorries, and asks Full Council to approve the £2.2m.
  • The contract would go directly to a supplier through a government buying framework. The supplier and price are in a confidential appendix.
  • Delivery takes at least 12 months, so the new lorries would arrive in 2027/28.

What it means for you

Nothing changes for your collection day. If a bin is missed, report it to the council; our Horsham bin collection days guide explains how, and what goes in which bin.