Councils Paid To Bring Back Weekly Bin Rounds

The Government is to start paying local councils in England to retain or restore weekly bin collections.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said every household has "a basic right" to have their rubbish collected every week.

Councils are being enticed to drop fortnightly services with a £250m fund to help switch back to weekly rounds.

The policy is being seen by Conservatives as delivering on a pledge the party made in opposition.

The Government came under fire in June following its Waste Review, when it was revealed that councils would not have to bring back weekly bin collections and householders would not be penalised for "minor mistakes" when putting out their bins.

Labour then accused the Government of breaking its pre-election promise to abandon fortnightly bin collections, branding it a "huge missed opportunity".

Mr Pickles unveiled the move before the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

"Weekly rubbish collections are the most visible of all frontline services and I believe every household in England has a basic right to have their rubbish collected every week," he said.

"Our fund will help councils deliver weekly collections and in the process make it easier for families to go green and improve the local environment."

He told Sky News he had always advocated weekly discussions but believed some councils were "bullied" under the Labour government.

Mr Pickles denied the money spent on this project would require other services to be cut.

"We had a waste review, we said we were looking at this, clearly it was prudent to put a sum of money available to do this as a contingency," he said.

"It just so happens that because of the savings in my department we can offer slightly more than we originally thought necessary," he added.

The Weekly Collections Support Scheme is expected to begin from next April.

Funding will be given to English local authorities which guarantee to retain or reinstate weekly waste collections for at least five years.

They must also demonstrate the potential to increase recycling rates or provide other environmental benefits, such as reducing fly-tipping and litter, alongside weekly collections.

Councils will be able to bid for funding individually or in groups and can include the private sector "where this increases value for money".

But while the Government insists that bringing back the weekly collections will make it easier for families to go green, some environmental groups are expected to disagree with the decision.