Bin day may be every 14 days

Council chiefs considered the controversial plan to halve the number of rubbish collections across the borough at a meeting on Wednesday and you can find out what happened here on Thursday.

The move is designed to help the cash-strapped council balance its books and avoid huge fines that could be levied by the Government if the council fails to meet recycling targets.

By not emptying people's bins so often, the council hopes householders will be compelled to recycle more.

Council tax payers could be hit with a bill of around £1.5 million in March next year unless Bolton dramatically increases the amount of waste it recycles.

At the same time, council bosses have been told they must slash £3.3 million off next year's budget just to keep April's council tax rise lower than eight per cent.

The cost-cutting proposal comes just weeks after chaotic queues formed at council waste disposal sites because bins were not emptied over the Christmas period.

If the council approves the fortnightly collection plan, it could be in place as early as April.

Cllr Roger Hayes, the council's deputy leader and executive member for direct services, wants recycling schemes to be increased in line with the reduced service to prevent an overflow of rubbish and encourage people to think green.

More homes would receive green wheelie bins for garden waste and green collection boxes for bottles and cans, he said.

For homes where these measures were not appropriate, he said recycling stations would be stationed nearby.

"Certain people will try and present this as a reduced service, but that its not the point," said Cllr Hayes.

"It is vital we cater for residents' needs while encouraging them to participate in a greater use of recycling."

He said it was impossible to put a figure on the amount of money that would be saved by the move.

Opposition councillors have hit out at the move.

Conservative councillor John Walsh, who introduced the borough's first bottle banks in 1978, warned against "imposing" recycling on householders.

He said: "A proper system needs to be put in place, otherwise this could result in a dramatic increase in fly-tipping. But the council needs to act, as little has been done to improve our recycling record for 27 years."

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: "We would want a lot more thought put into a scheme like this before it is approved."

Under Government targets, all councils must recycle 20 per cent of their rubbish by the end of the 2005/6 financial year or be fined £150 for every tonne it misses the target by.

Of the 116,000 homes in Bolton, 42,000 have green boxes, 25,000 have green bins and all homes are covered by paper recycling services.

Under the new plans, collection schemes could be increased to weekly, while the green wheelie bins collection could be extended to cover the whole of the year, not just between March and November as at present.

The plan is the latest in a series of controversial proposals aimed at reducing the council's budget.

Council leaders are also considering plans to close a number of youth clubs and cut £34,000 in funding to youngsters' groups such as the Scouts and Guides. Plans to put up car parking charges are also being discussed.

All parties have blamed the need for cutbacks on a reduction in the amount of money the council receives from the Government.

But Breightmet resident John Winch attacked the move, describing the council's kerbside collection service as "below-standard".

Mr Winch, aged 62, of Toronto Street, said: "It will not even accept items such as plastic bottles and bottle tops. This is nothing more than a cost-cutting measure."

Wednesdays meeting was being chaired by Cllr Heyes, with senior council officers and opposition councillors in attendance.

What do you think of the council's plans? Is this the right way to encourage recycling? Or will it simply lead to a build-up of rubbish on the streets? Write to: The Editor, Bolton Evening News, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1DE, or email letters@boltoneveningnews.co.uk