Rubbish 'not big election issue'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/6626175.stm

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The abolition of weekly bin collections has not been a deciding issue in local elections in England, figures suggest.

The Local Government Association said 25.7% of councils which have switched to fortnightly collections had changed political control.

Meanwhile, the rate was 23% among those which still run weekly bin rounds, showing "no direct correlation" between the issue and voting, the LGA added.

Its figures - which have a 3% margin for error - are based on 97 councils.

Maggots

About a third of local authorities now operate a system called alternate weekly collection (AWC), where they collect rubbish one week and recycling the next.

There have been anecdotal reports that rubbish is rotting in bins for longer, creating more smells and allowing maggots to breed.

But the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says these problems are avoidable if rubbish is disposed of properly in sealed bins.

An LGA statement says that "there appears to have been no correlation between those councils who have AWC and those who do not in terms of voting swing.

"The results appear to mirror the overall national election voting picture."

Whitehall advice to councils is not to introduce the idea of fortnightly collections too near polling day.