Opposition fails to halt expanded three-tier bin collection scheme

At a meeting of the council's community committee in Clitheroe tonight councillors voted through plans that will see a further 12,000 households receive their three-stream waste collection bins.

Under the new system, recyclable waste can be split into three separate bins to aid the collection process. The scheme was piloted in Read and Simonstone in October 2006 and taken into Longridge last year.

The roll out will continue as planned at the start of May in the east of the borough.

The proposals were passed in the face of opposition from councillors with rural wards, who said they were concerned that many of the residents were being forced to drag the bins down lengthy farm drives to the collection point at the side of the road.

Coun Jim White, Longridge ward, said he had received several complaints.

He said that the residents had expressed concern that their waste would not be collected after the final phase was approved. Currently, an additional refuse truck and extra staff are employed to collect bins from the end of long drives in rural areas.

Coun White added: "I believe there are more options to be explored and there will be cost implications. We should not cut them off and we should continue to provide them with a service."

However, Graham Jagger, street scene manager for the council, said there was an interim plan in place to cater for those experiencing difficulties in rural areas.

This includes the hire of the additional truck and while this service will be provided for the time being a decision will be made later this year on whether it will continue.

Council chief exectuive David Morris said: "Ninety five per cent of houses we are doing are delighted with the scheme and we are concerned about the other five per cent. I can assure them that we will continue to collect and we will give that guarantee. We will also work to resolve the outstanding issues in an amicable way."