Two-week wait to have your bins emptied?

HOUSEHOLDERS in Bexhill face the prospect of waiting two weeks to have their dustbins emptied in future.

Rother council is being forced to consider alternate weekly collections to help pay for new waste recycling measures.

Fortnightly bin emptying alternating with the collection of materials for recycling was suggested by Government officers when chief executive Derek Stevens led a Rother party at a London meeting.

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They went to explain the difficulties Rother is having meeting Government recycling targets while Council Tax increases are limited by threat of capping.

Now Rother is having to overhaul its entire rubbish collection system to meet the strict government targets.

The district council will have to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on the new scheme.

The delegation explained Rother was committed to regaining its performance place among the top quarter of the nation's local authorities but is suffering severe financial difficulties.

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The costs it now faces include 150,000 set-up charges for the year before the contract begins on March 31, 2007 and 300,000 for marketing and promotion for the first two years.

An extra 100,000 would also be set aside for employing temporary staff to support the service - totalling 550,000.

Rother cabinet will decide on Monday whether to follow the waste management recommendations before the matter goes before the full council on Monday, April 18.

Waste collection, recycling and street and beach cleaning are likely to come under the same contract, which would run for a minimum of seven years to spread the cost.

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The authority has to meet requirements by 2010 that two recyclable materials must be collected from each household.

The contract is likely to focus on paper, card, plastics, cans and green garden waste.

Director of services Anthony Leonard says: "The implementation of kerbside recycling is the only way to achieve these targets."

Currently 60 per cent of the area has paper collected from the kerbside for recycling. The council has sought advice from neighbouring authorities including Hastings Borough Council and Wealden District Council on increasing the provision.

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The aim is to offer a blanket service with wheeled bins and recycling boxes distributed throughout the district - although this may be adapted in certain areas to meet local needs.

Current bring centre recycling sites will be kept for the recycling of glass to support the kerbside system.

Elderly or disabled residents may get help from the contractors with moving containers.

Monday afternoon's Town Hall debate is expected to centre on whether a weekly waste collection can be retained.

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Mr Leonard says: "Alternate weekly collection of residual waste with green garden waste has been discussed - it optimises the use of the vehicle fleet and offers a practical and financial solution."

He admits there are concerns over storing rubbish which was likely to rot during the fortnight with a potential for flies and maggots.

Another option would be for residents to be charged for an extra service to take away garden waste.