PLANS for the future of rubbish collection in the borough lie in the balance, with the Labour group leader labelling a potential change a ‘betrayal’.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) has been collecting the views of residents of how they would prefer for their waste to be collected.

Options are keeping the current contract, which collects weekly, or switching to a new system that would see recycling and rubbish collected on alternating weeks.

Leader of the Basingstoke Labour group, councillor Paul Harvey, said: “We are calling for weekly food waste collections and vastly improved recycling options for people that mean they can put more items in their green bins at home.

“The proposals are a betrayal of the Conservative promise to the people of Basingstoke that they would not introduce alternative weekly collections.”

The current weekly contract is due to conclude in October 2018.

BDBC conducted a survey to gain an idea about how the borough’s residents felt on the subject.

Research of a sample of 1,000 borough residents found 51 per cent disagreed with changing the service to alternate weekly collections to increase recycling, compared to 38 per cent who were in favour. The council says support went up when the reason for making the change was to reduce costs, but 46 per cent still disagreed with the change, compared to 41 per cent agreeing.

The decision was due to be discussed at a BDBC meeting last night on September 13, with a final decision to be made at a cabinet meeting on September 20.

Last week, cllr Hayley Eachus, BDBC cabinet member for regulatory services and the environment, said: “The research is telling us that residents’ views are split on the issue. Basingstoke and Deane’s recycling rate is low compared to other areas and I have been very clear that I am keen to consider anything that could see recycling go up and carbon emissions go down.

“Changing the service could also mean substantial savings at a time of extreme pressure on council finances when our aim is to keep council tax as low as possible.”

Cllr Harvey added: “It won’t improve services as people are not being given more recycling at home options. They need those options to reduce the amount they are putting into their waste bins.”

BDBC empties bins from nearly 73,000 homes each week.