Braintree Council is being asked to rethink a plan to introduce fortnightly rubbish collections.

The calls follows a decision by neighbouring Chelmsford Council to switch back from fortnightly to weekly bin collections, because of health fears over rotting rubbish.

The new Braintree scheme, due to affect 20,000 households in Braintree, Bocking, Rayne, Cressing, Black Notley and Great Notley in October, involves a green wheelie bin for compostable waste and a grey bin for waste that cannot be recycled.

The bins have to be put out for collection on alternate weeks, while other recyclable waste is also collected at the kerbside.

The authority, which already operates a similar system in Witham, received a grant of £1,069,000 from the government.

Braintree secretary Carol Hadley, of De-Marci Court, has organised a petition, signed by neighbours, against the changes in the rubbish collections.

She said: "Can you imagine the stench if rubbish is left standing for two weeks? It is going to be appalling. A lot of people will have so much rubbish they won't be able to close the lid."

Brian Cutmore, chairman of Braintree Business Council, said everyone supported the recycling initiative, but the concern was over fortnightly collections of non-recyclable rubbish.

Braintree executive councillor for environmental protection, Cllr Roger Walters, said: "A scheme like this is the best way of achieving a high level of recycling with low costs."

Councillors say there is no public health risk in fortnightly collections of rubbish bins replacing weekly collections of plastic sacks.

Published Thursday, August 7, 2003

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