A HAMPSHIRE MP has hit out against the council's suggestion of fortnightly bin collections.

The decision, which was debated at a Community, Environment, and Partnerships committee last month, would see the borough’s black bins collected alternately with the green recycling bin.

Ranil Jayawardena, MP for North East Hampshire, has spoken out against the idea. He said: “These proposals are junk. Weekly bin collections are best for local people- and when I was deputy leader of the council, we repeatedly ruled out moving to fortnightly collections, so to say that the council has to look at all the options is rubbish.

"It will punish families; if the council wants to increase recycling, then why not look at those areas of the borough that don’t recycle and sort that out, rather than cutting the service for those that do?”

The council stressed at the meeting last month that it was looking at all the options, of which switching to fortnightly collections is the main option. The public will be consulted for their opinions on the matter in the April and May of this year. The current contract for waste disposal will finish it 2018.

Mr Jayawardena continued: “Until now, I’d have said it’s a shame that other local authorities have not followed Basingstoke and Deane’s example in protecting this service- I’ve always urged those with fortnightly collections to move back to weekly ones.

"Now, I just hope that Basingstoke and Deane won’t can a decent service just because some folk don’t know what bin they should use.”