UP to 14,000 homes across the borough are set to get wheelie bins, the Gazette can reveal.

In council documents which are published today, six wards show adequate support for the controversial bins.

Of those wards, two - Old Heath and the Hythe and Shrub End, in yellow - have support for some areas of the ward but not for others.

The wards which are set for a complete roll-out - except in streets which do not fit the criteria - are Mile End, Stanway, Greenstead and Berechurch, all in green.

The remaining wards, in red, will not be getting wheelie bins.

The papers also confirm plans to scrap weekly black sack collections and move to fortnightly collections.

Those areas which are given a 180-litre wheelie bin would put it out for collection while areas which are not given wheelie bins would be limited to leaving out three black sacks.

Households which need to leave more than three bags out for collection can apply to Colchester Council under a new exemption policy.

As part of the plans, residents would also be given a second green recycling box, to separate mixed glass from food and drink cans.

Colchester Council waste bosses have opted not to change the fortnightly recycling collection so paper, card and plastic will continue to collected in council-issued clear plastic bags.

There are no changes to the weekly food waste collections.

The plans will be debated by councillors on December 12 and cabinet will take the final decision on December 20.

The exact streets which will be given wheelie bins will be decided before the end of February 2017 and the changes to the waste collection are proposed to begin in June 2017.

Each of the 51 borough councillors were asked for their views before the final plans were published.

At the moment, no sanctions are planned against residents who do not recycle but Colchester Council waste boss Dominic Graham admitted “fines are not off the table”.

He added: “We recognise these proposals mean big changes and rather than use the stick, we want to help residents get to grips with it and better understand the system before we do anything like fining people.”

Mr Graham hopes the changes will increase the borough’s 45.2 per cent recycling rate.

Similar changes were implemented in Maldon in June, which has resulted in an increase of about 11 per cent.

'Exemptions will be available'

PROPERTIES which are on a steep slope or with poor access will not be given wheelie bins under the new plans.

Homes with little storage will also be exempt from the roll-out.

Households which use a lot of ‘offensive waste’, such as nappies, will be able to apply to the council for approved stickers and have that waste collected weekly.

People who live in houses of multiple occupation, as many students do, or very large families will also be eligible for an exemption.

Residents who live in apartments will see no change to their collections.

Assisted collections will remain in place for vulnerable people.

'We want you to recycle more - it's not about saving money'

COUNCIL bosses say the aim of the new strategy is to increase the borough’s recycling rate and not to save money.

Dominic Graham said although the new scheme will save about £100,000 in 2018/19 and 2019/20, he is focussed on tackling the borough’s declining recycling figures.

At the moment, Colchester residents recycle just 45.2 per cent of waste.

Mr Graham added: “The driving force for doing this is to increase recycling and to cut black bag residual waste going to landfill.

“In two years, we will be looking at what I would suggest is significant savings, but that is not why we’re doing it.”

The initial rollout will cost the council £856,500 by 2020.