CONTROVERSIAL plans which could see black bags collected once a month in Torfaen have been rejected until more information is provided.

Torfaen council is undertaking a review of its residual waste collections ahead of a public consultation and the report will be the subject of a scrutiny committee.

At the pre-agenda meeting for the cleaner communities overview and scrutiny committee meeting last week, the report was formally rejected. discussed.

The report was formally rejected as scrutiny members requested further information on how the three options were reached and the criteria used.

Members also requested the projected performance information, details on coverage, the sustainability of the proposed options and the treatment of absorbent hygiene product bags.

From 2015/16 recycling targets in Wales will increase from 52 per cent to 58 per cent, with councils fined in the region of £100,000 for every one per cent they fall below the line.

Torfaen currently recycles 52 per cent of its waste, meaning that if its performance remains at current levels it will face an annual fine of £600,000.

The council is currently investigating three options designed to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, including

The options include maintaining a fortnightly collection with a smaller black wheelie bin, a fortnightly collection of two refuse bags per household, or moving to a monthly collection using the existing 240L black wheelie bin.

With all options, Allowances will be made for the collection of additional waste at Christmas and New Year, and a dedicated collection for nappies will be available.

Recycling collections will continue to operate as normal.

But residents believe that families could not cope with the reduced service.

Elizabeth Brown from Abersychan called the proposals “ridiculous”.

She said: “Families will be affected the most. You can recycle a lot but we are not at the level where you can reduce the black bag collections as people are only just adapting.”

Ian Gilbert, from Pontypool, who lives with his wife and their four children, believes that if waste bin collections get reduced then there will be an increase in fly tipping.

The council plan to carry out public consultation towards the end of April/beginning of May.