WEST Cornwall householders look set to continue to enjoy weekly rubbish collections as Cornwall Council prepares to tender for a new waste collection service.
The council had proposed introducing weekly recycling collections and a fortnightly food waste and rubbish service, but a public survey came out in favour of retaining the weekly wheelie bin collections.
And a report going this week to the Cabinet has recommended the terms of the tender for the new service should take account of public opinion with weekly rubbish collections and a fortnightly recycling service.
As waste services were previously provided by the former district councils, there are several different services and contracts in operation across Cornwall.
The council hopes by condensing the service into one it can save money and provide a single, county-wide system, starting in April 2012.
Although pleased that weekly collections look likely to continue, Newlyn and Mousehole councillor Roger Harding criticised the lack of publicity about the public consultation and said he had carried out his own survey.
"The council survey was hidden away on a back page of the leaflet accompanying the Council Tax demand – almost as if the council wanted to keep the consultation secret," he said.
Mr Harding said that about 20 per cent of those he had leafleted actually responded and not one person was in favour of fortnightly collections.
"So this is good news for Newlyn and Mousehole," he added. "There are a lot of very small cottages with no frontage and small or non-existent amenity areas at the back so there would be no room for extra bins.
"Many of the properties are holiday cottages and people do not want to have to put their rubbish in the same bin as someone else's.
"And there is also the fear that black bags would be introduced down here as is the case in many other parts of Cornwall and that creates the issue of them being attacked by gulls."
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