A COUNCILLOR has slammed the decision to replace large bins with smaller ones on streets in his area.

Sudell councillor Roy Davies says litter bins outside Olive Lane Stores and the Premier Convenience Store on the corner of Anyon Street and Walmsley Street have been changed for ones half the size.

Now the bins are not big enough and litter will be left to fall on to the pavement, he claims.

Council bosses said the change came about because they only had one wagon capable of emptying the larger bins. and pledged to empty them more often if needed.

Coun Davies said: “We have got those two big bins for one simple reason, and that is that they are being used. They are full every time they get emptied.

“Those bins are needed and now they have taken them out for some that are about half the size.

“We will get litter all over the floor now and then people will stop using the bins altogether.”

Borough environment boss, Coun Jim Smith said: “We have replaced the larger bins in Darwen because there is only one specialist vehicle in our fleet that can collect them.

“These vehicles are very difficult to buy or even hire, so if that vehicle is out of action for any reason, we can’t collect them. We have replaced them with smaller bins which can be collected either by a vehicle from the main depot or by a second one based in Darwen. So if one vehicle is out of order, there is another one to do the job instead.

“We have done this in other outlying areas, like my ward of Mill Hill, to make sure we have a back-up. If necessary, we will collect the smaller bins more often or look at returning the bigger bins in the future when we have more of the larger ‘cage lifter’ vehicles.

“We don’t want the bins in Sudell overflowing because they cannot be collected.”