AN EXCLUSIVE poll by the Gazette has revealed that the vast majority of Basingstoke residents do not want their bins collected fortnightly.

As previously reported in the Gazette, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council debated the future of the bin collection contract at a Community Environment and Partnerships committee on last night.

The poll from the Gazette website shows that of the 4,200 votes cast in our online survey in just five days, 86 per cent said they did not support the idea, while only 9 per cent were in favour.

The remaining five per cent of those who responded either didn’t mind or didn’t know.

The response was rapid, with more than 3,000 votes in the first 48 hours.

Cabinet member for the environment and regulatory services Councillor Hayley Eachus said: “It is good that the Gazette poll has started the debate on this and I am keen to make sure that residents have the full facts as over the next few months we will be finding out what residents think in a variety of ways.”

The current contract will last until 2018 when it comes up for renewal, and one of the cost-saving measures planned by the council is to have household waste collected every other week, alternating with collecting the recycling.

Former Conservative councillor Phil Heath said: “The idea has been proposed and defeated three times before, it’s been tried for years, including when I was on the council. The council is playing political football with people’s bins and they are offering no solution.

“They are not encouraging people to recycle, and it’s clear they are not listening to people in the area.”

The meeting, that took place last Wednesday after the Gazette went to press, will see councillors debate as to the specifics of the contract, which will be debated at a full meeting in March.

Cllr Eachus continued: “Alternate weekly rubbish and recycling collections is just one of the options we are considering to ensure a value-for-money service. It is only right we look at this especially as we’ve also had feedback that we should explore this way of increasing recycling in the borough.”