WHEN residents at York’s new Derwenthorpe development were given green wheelie bins, some assumed their garden waste would be regularly collected.

But as the weather warmed up and their bins filled up, they found they were waiting in vain and complained to Derwenthorpe’s developer, the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT).

Now City of York Council has responded by saying garden waste collections are only a “discretionary” service and it is not currently feasible to provide the service to all residents.

However, it hopes to launch a regular collection at the estate on York’s eastern outskirts later in the year.

Osbaldwick councillor and parish council chairman Mark Warters said the parish had been asked to assist in ensuring collections took place.

He believed that as Derwenthorpe residents paid their council tax, they deserved the same collections as residents elsewhere.

One resident told The Press: “We pay quite a lot, so we did expect them to be emptied regularly.”

A Rowntree trust spokesman said it had offered to undertake collections on an interim basis, but this had been declined by the council pending a review.

He said: “JRHT understands from City of York Council that green waste collection is a discretionary service.

“There is no statutory requirement on the council to provide this service and equally no discount for council tax payers who currently do not receive this.”

The spokesman said it was hoped Derwenthorpe would be part of a revised collection schedule and some residents had reported having had a collection recently.

Geoff Derham, the council’s head of waste and fleet services, said the authority collected 75 per cent of all accessible garden waste, which equated to 17,270 tonnes each year, with those missing out generally being remote rural properties, flats and terraced houses.

He said: “Avoiding waste going into landfill is one of the council’s top priorities, so providing garden waste collections to all households would be fantastic.

“This is not currently feasible and officers are working with residents, and on this occasion JHRT, to explain the situation and provide advice as early as possible.

“The council met residents in the Derwenthorpe estate in March, before the garden waste collection season started, and provided bins for residents in readiness for the service to commence later this year.”