Three-weekly bin collections plan under discussion

A council meeting on Tuesday will decide whether black bins will be collected once every three weeks - instead of fortnightly.

West Northamptonshire Council has proposed using the Daventry area's "1, 2, 3+" system to create a "single consistent system" within its jurisdiction.

More than 1,700 people have signed a petition calling for the plans to be reconsidered.

Jenny Scott, from Weston Favell, who lives in a household of six including two children in nappies, told BBC Northampton the proposals were "absolutely ridiculous and haven't been thought through properly".

"I think it's going to encourage flytipping because people are going to be frustrated, particular over the summer months having excess waste next to their house," she added.

The "1, 2, 3+" system has been in place in the former Daventry District since 2018.

It sees food waste collections every week, fortnightly recycling collections and general waste every three weeks.

The petition against the council's proposals was launched by former Conservative councillor James Hill, who said the reduction in collections would amount to a cut in service levels.

"We're asking people to change their behaviours very quickly [within a year] and I just don't think that's going to happen. Residents don't want it," he said.

"Why not bring Daventry and South Northants into line with Northampton? We've just had a council tax increase, and we're getting less for our services."

However Dan Cooke, director of policy at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, said: "Lots of local authorities are going to three-weekly collections and they can do that by increasing and improving the recycling service that goes alongside it.

"Three-weekly collections have been shown to work wherever they have been introduced."

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