WHEELED bin refuse collections may be extended throughout Burnley after a trial scheme proved they were "wheelie" popular.

A six month pilot project covering 6,500 properties was extended for the results of a questionnaire to be assessed.

That showed that 86 per cent of the 3,487 people who returned the questionnaires were satisfied with the trial scheme and were willing to use wheeled bins on a permanent basis.

Members of the Public Protection Committee will on Thursday be asked to extend the scheme throughout the borough and to arrange a special meeting to thrash out the details. The trial was not without its misfortunes with 150 wheeled bins, mainly in the Burnley Wood area, being damaged or stolen.

But concerns that the bins created a security risk were largely unfounded with a police study showing the scheme had not directly led to any increase in the level of burglaries.

Bins not being left at the proper point of collection had increased collection costs, there had been later daily finishing times and bins not left out at all were not being emptied.

A report to Thursday's meeting says the survey suggests the trial was successful but that work would need to be done to resolve various difficulties and concerns were the scheme to be made permanent.

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