CONTROVERSIAL plans to collect household waste on a fort-nightly basis will go ahead - despite more than 1,000 objections from Northwich and Winsford residents.

At a meeting of Vale Royal Borough Council on Thursday, Labour councillors were defeated in their attempts to get a second hearing on the issue after collecting more than 2,000 signatures in total from Vale Royal residents objecting to the proposals.

Their calls to retain the weekly collection of residual waste rather than alternate weekly collections was defeated by 31 votes to 19.

Cllr Keith Musgrave, leader of the council, said: 'I am delighted this motion, which proposed a backward step, was rejected.'

He added: 'I would like to reassure residents that the proposed new waste scheme is safe, effective, hygienic and in no way a reduction in service.

'To allay any concerns residents may have about the new scheme, we will be delivering a newsletter to all homes in the borough in the new year. The newsletter will address issues and concerns people may have about handling wheelie bins or the disposal of significant amounts of residual waste.'

The council says it carried out an extensive risk assessment and public consultation.

It is aimed at encouraging residents to recycle more by getting them to think about the type of waste they are currently binning. On alternate weeks, refuse collectors will pick up recyclable materials including garden waste, newspapers and bottles.

Labour group leader Brian Lloyd proposed the motion. He fears that although the recycling option is a good idea, fortnightly collection will cause problems.

Despite the defeat, he hopes the council will be able to mitigate the effects on residents as much as possible.

He said: 'We are not going to let this drop and we will continue with it.

'It was likely that we would lose the vote but we got our point of view aired. I was criticised when I was making my speech at the meeting because people thought we are against recycling, but it was us that originally suggested the idea. Two weeks is too long and people are saying that - I have had 20-30 letters objecting to the plans this morning alone.

'I believe the launch of this project was stage-managed and very little was said about this part of the proposals, just the recycling element.

'People are unhappy about it, there is a general swell of opposition to it. In Germany they have two collections a week and in countries like Spain they have a collection every day. Waste such as nappies and incontinence pads cannot be recycled and will be left in these bins for up to two weeks. The maggot is produced in eight days, so in a fortnight your bin could be full of maggots.'

Council leaders called Cllr Lloyd's claims 'irresponsible' and say they have carried out an extensive risk assessment and public consultation before unveiling the Kerbside Recycling Scheme three weeks ago.

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill (Lib Dem), the lead councillor for waste services, said: 'I recognise change is difficult and that people will have concerns about this new scheme.

'However, we have conducted a lot of research, which proves categorically to us that what we are doing is the right thing for Vale Royal residents now and, just as importantly, in the future.'

He added: 'The sensational claims by the Labour party are irresponsible. The scheme, which was originally supported by them, is the right way forward and we will be working hard to ensure that people understand the need for recycling and how to manage their waste in a safe and healthy way.

'We are only asking people to put the right type of rubbish in the right bin - it is not rocket science.

'We have been told by the Government we must recycle three times more than we are doing at the moment. The penalty for not recycling more will be punitive.

'We have got a world with only finite resources and we have got to stop using more than we need to. We have a duty to future generations.'

Anne Williams, a nurse from North-wich, backs Cllr Lloyd's stance and says everyone she has spoken to is against the idea.

She said: 'I don't think this should go ahead. I have two children and my bin is full every week - not with bottles and things like that but general rubbish - so it will be a major problem after two weeks.

'I personally think it is a cost-cutting exercise by the council and I have not met one person who is happy about it. Some are pretty angry - we are paying all this Council Tax and what is it going towards?'