RUBBISH collections in Welwyn Hatfield could become fortnightly, if talks to alternate refuse and recycling runs prove successful.

Welwyn Hatfield Council leader John Dean this week confirmed that meetings were “ongoing” over whether changes to the borough’s rubbish collections were viable.

“Yes, there are talks, but they’re only talks,” Cllr Dean told the Welwyn Hatfield Times. “We’re only looking into it, we haven’t made any decisions. Meetings are ongoing.

“If we can save the taxpayer money and deliver a good service, then that’s something we would seriously consider – that isn’t clear yet.”

Under the new scheme, all recyclable materials would be collected one week, with landfill waste picked up the following week.

Earlier this month, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles criticised the Audit Commission – which monitors local authorities’s spending – for encouraging councils to switch to fortnightly collections.

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