OPPOSITION to Babergh District Council's new twin bin scheme - which sees household waste collected fortnightly - is mounting across the district.But the scheme's project manager, David Botwright, has said there are ways of minimising the smells and preventing the other problems residents have complained about.

By Alison Withers

OPPOSITION to Babergh District Council's new twin bin scheme - which sees household waste collected fortnightly - is mounting across the district.

But the scheme's project manager, David Botwright, has said there are ways of minimising the smells and preventing the other problems residents have complained about.

Mr Botwright will be at East Bergholt's Constable Hall next week to explain the scheme and to hear people's concerns.

He has also promised that a report on the complaints and objections the council has received will be going to its committee scrutinising community services on September 30. If they feel it is necessary, councillors could then ask for the scheme to be reviewed.

He revealed that after Sudbury East councillor Albert Pearce, Liberal Democrat, raised concerns about the lack of space for bins on the town's Springlands estate, the council will run a trial in Nelson Road to see whether it will be possible to provide special areas for bins to be stored.

The latest developments come as signatures on a petition in East Bergholt, where half the village has been switched to the new scheme, top 500 and residents of surrounding villages at Stratford St Mary, Capel St Mary, Raydon, Brantham and Bentley, have added their voices to chorus of concern.

Nearly 500 Glemsford residents have already presented a petition against the twin bin scheme to the council, and residents from Glemsford, Great Cornard, Sudbury and Leavenheath have also written letters of complaint to the council.

Not all Babergh residents have yet been switched to the new scheme, where blue recyclable waste bins and black household waste bins are emptied on alternate weeks.

Many have raised worries that not emptying household waste bins weekly will lead to smells, will attract vermin and will lead to health hazards.

But Mr Botwright said smells and mess could be minimised if people wrapped household waste in proper bin liners rather than using old supermarket carrier bags which have holes pierced in them.

He said Babergh had calculated that going back to weekly collections of household waste as well as continuing fortnightly collections of recyclable waste would add another £14 a year (based on a Band D property) to the council tax.