IT is fair to say Colchester Council waste bosses’ plans to introduce wheelie bins to some parts of the borough have met a mixed response.

Waste and recycling boss Dominic Graham has stated his overall priority is to cut the amount of black sack waste going to landfill and to increase the borough’s recycling rate.

The most recent figures, published by each council on the Essex Waste Partnership, show Colchester’s recycling rate has dropped from 46.3 per cent in 2014/15 to to 42.5 per cent in 2015/16.

That result leaves the authority as the second lowest in the group, only in front of Tendring District Council, which only introduced garden waste a year ago, which explains the relatively low 6.9 per cent take-up.

Mr Graham’s proposals, which also include picking up black sack waste fortnightly and limiting households to three sacks or one wheelie bin, will be debated publicly for the first time tomorrow night when the authority’s scrutiny panel meets.

As well as councillors, members of the public are also being encouraged to have their say.

Wheelie bins - the pros and cons

Eight of the country’s top ten performing authorities use wheelie bins for both residual waste and recyclables.

Experts say the easier authorities make recycling, the more people are likely to take it up.

As it stands, residents are asked to separate out plastics from paper and card into clear sacks, which are then collected on alternate weeks.

Under the new plans, there could be a change so plastic and paper would be put into one bin unseparated.

Households could also be given separate containers for glass cans and tins.

Opinions are split over where wheelie bins could work in the borough.

It is generally acknowledged newer homes with storage spaces would suit wheelie bins.

However, areas such as parts of New Town and the Dutch Quarter have all-but-been ruled out for wheelie bins because residents there have little or no storage space.

Other worries include their impact on the street scape.

Wheelie bins would also come at a cost and it is estimated one bin would cost the council about £20 to buy while each bin lorry would have to undergo an £18,000 conversion to be able to deal with the new bins.

Daily routes would also have to be changed as the number of properties per route would have to be cut from 2,500 to 1,800. It is estimated new software to draw lorries’ routes would cost about £15,000.

Fortnightly bin collections - yes or no?

Under the proposals food weekly waste collections would continue and there would be no cap on recycling.

The main criticism of the proposed move to fortnightly collections is it could mean waste, such as nappies or other sanitary products, is left in a bin for up to two weeks before being collected.

At the moment there has been no response from Colchester Council over whether plans could be put in place to mitigate those concerns.

Waste bosses say evidence shows fewer black sacks go to landfill when waste is collected less frequently. A limit on black sacks would also, naturally, mean less waste is going to landfill.

Why limit to three black sacks?

The authority hopes to encourage residents to recycle more by limiting the number of black sacks which can be collected to three.

Mr Graham’s own hope is that it would make residents stop and think whether an item can be recycled before it is thrown into a black sack.

The waste boss has indicated there would be a ‘lead in’ period which would allow residents to get used to any changes to their waste collection before any punishments are given out.

Sanctions are, though, already available to the council.

Under former waste boss the late Martin Hunt, the council invoked section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act, which allows authorities to fine residents who do not meet set waste collection “requirements”.

Sanctions could range between simply not picking up any more than three sacks to fines. No final details have been published yet.

When could the changes come into effect?

Tomorrow night is the first time the proposals will be debated publicly.

Mr Graham has said there will be more than one round of scrutiny and it is likely the plans will also be debated at full council before a final decision is made. No changes are expected until well into next year.

Who’s backing the plans and who isn’t?

The plans are being put forward by Lib Dem Dominic Graham.

His party’s local election manifesto stated an aim to provide a waste collection scheme which is “wanted” by the public.

The proposals were published after about 2,600 people were surveyed online and in person between March and June.

Labour members have publicly backed wheelie bins in a bid to increase the borough’s recycling rate, while the Conservative group initially opposed wheelie bins being introduced anywhere in the borough.

The Highwoods Independent group, which has one representative on the Cabinet, is against wheelie bins’ introduction in the ward on the grounds of a lack of storage.

Conservatives have called on Beverly Oxford to resign her position on the Cabinet “to show her disgust with the way Highwoods residents are being snubbed by the Cabinet”.

A group spokesman said Mrs Oxford would not be resigning and will “speak and vote according to how she sees it”.