CHANGES to rubbish collection from harder to reach homes in Keighley and Bradford districts came under fire during a meeting of Oxenhope Parish Council.

Councillors criticised what they described as a lack of consultation over the changes.

But Bradford Council responded that it had been forced to make savings in its waste collection service due to Government cuts, and had notified affected householders in advance of the alterations.

Outlying properties which used to be part of Bradford Council's rural waste collection routes are now having to use larger, standard size wheelie bins, with their rubbish picked up by the council's bigger 26-tonne refuse wagons.

At the latest meeting of Oxenhope Parish Council, councillors said the shift to the new system had not been implemented well.

Worth Valley Ward councillor Russell Brown said: “Bins are a very problematic issue at the moment, and I’ve had a lot of complaints about it. The council has not consulted with people properly.

“The [Bradford] council officers who are dealing with it have been dealt a bad hand, but the new system has been handed down to them from above and they’ve no power over it.”

Cllr Brown asked people living in more remote, hard to access homes which are not really suitable for the larger wheelie bins, to get in touch with him.

Oxenhope councillor David Ashcroft recommended the parish council should formally write to Bradford Council, registering its concern over the way the new system has been rolled out.

“The lack of consultation has been appalling," he said.

Responding after the meeting, a spokesman for Bradford Council said: “Due to severe budget reductions from central Government, Bradford Council has had to drastically reduce the cost of services year on year.

“This means that we need to do things more efficiently and more cost effectively.

"One of the ways we are achieving the necessary savings imposed on us, is to introduce alternate week bin collections and to end individual waste collections from hard to reach properties.

“At no stage have we expected people to struggle down long drives with heavy wheelie bins.

"Bins should be left at the end of the drive where they can be picked up by our 26-tonne wagons. Individual bags of rubbish can be deposited in the wheelie bin as the occupants leave their property at their own convenience.

“Information about the changes has been disseminated across the district since earlier this year on Bradford’s website and each individual household affected by the changes has received a letter of explanation and advice.

“These alterations bring Bradford into line with many other local authorities in rural areas who operate the same system.”