WAITROSE is under fire from a Malvern man, who has criticised recycling facilities at its Back Lane store.

Jon Rayner, of Abbey Road, says he is disappointed that it presently has only basic facilities for clothes, books and paper and no bottle bank.

Mr Rayner, a former Environment spokesman on Malvern Hills District Council's executive board, said providing recycling facilities was a condition of planning consent.

"The old Back Lane car park had full facilities, it's an absolute basic, it ought to be there.

"I shop at Waitrose, and I want to be able to recycle everything at the same time, without having to make separate trips."

Paul Sobczyk, of Malvern Hills District Council, said the condition of the planning consent only required Waitrose to provide space for recycling facilities, and the actual bottle banks were to be provided by MHDC.

When the supermarket was built an area was set aside as required but after completion a barrier was installed in the space for customer safety. This reduced the space available and meant a standard bottle bank would not fit.

"When Waitrose first opened, a bank was delivered, but we were then told there was no room for it, and it was taken away at their request," said Mr Sobczyk.

Tim Leader, store manager at the Malvern branch, said that to expand the space available for recycling would mean sacrificing car park space.

"At the moment, people are telling me that there aren't enough car parking spaces in Malvern," he said.

He added the the question of altering the car park was in the hands of Waitrose's head office, which was unavailable for comment.