AN Ilkley councillor has revealed that local authority savings of £500,000-a-year from introducing wheelie bins have been completely wiped out by the cost of dumping extra rubbish.

Conservative Councillor Martin Smith said he warned the ruling Labour group two years ago not to introduce wheelie bins until more recycling strategies had been established.

"I told them two years ago but they did not listen - now it is all coming true," said Coun Smith.

The problem with the large wheelie bins is that because of their increased capacity, residents can just dump all their rubbish in them.

Previously people took some separated rubbish and garden waste to council tips because there wasn't room in their household dustbin.

The cost of dumping the extra rubbish in landfill sites last year, according to Coun Smith, was around £500,000, exactly the same amount the local authority saved by not having to provide plastic bin sacks to each household every week.

Coun Smith, who is in charge of waste disposal for the local authority, said that he urged the previous administration to put more recycling measures in place before introducing wheelie bins.

He said that if recycling measure had been in place, households, particularly the many terraces in the district, could have been issued with smaller wheelie bins instead of large ones which did not fit into bin recesses and were left out on the pavement.

"There's a lot of stuff that goes in wheelie bins that could be recycled. We have to encourage people to separate - better separation means that we could reuse a lot of the stuff," said Coun Smith.

He added: "There are miles and miles of terraced houses in Bradford, Keighley and Ilkley - we would not see smaller bins left on the pavement - it just doesn't look right," said Coun Smith.

The size of Bradford's wheelie bins has led to rumours accusing cleansing bosses of wanting to introduce fortnightly rubbish collections, but Coun Smith emphatically denied this.

"While I am in charge there will be no fortnightly collection - I don't like the idea of the bags festering," said Coun Smith.

Among the recycling ideas Coun Smith is hoping will prove popular among residents is more composting.

Bradford Council is working in partnership with an organisation called Communities Using Resources Better (CURB) which administers a compost bin scheme in the Bradford Bradford district.

The scheme provides compost bins, normally worth about £40, for £13 or £15.50, both prices including delivery. Tubs of accelerator to help begin the composting process are also available for £3.

Coun Smith said: "This is an excellent scheme, offering a compost starter kit at a bargain price. Gardeners will be helping themselves to free fertiliser and helping the district's environment."

He said that if the compost bins were managed properly at the correct temperature, there would not be a problem with rat attraction as reported by one Ilkley resident recently.

Leaflets and order forms with full details of what is available will be placed in many of the council's reception areas. Bins can be ordered by writing to DURB, at the Cobbett Environmental Enterprise Centre, Village Street, Norwood Green, Halifax, HX3 8QG.