CITY of York Council has decided not to apply for Government money to restore weekly rubbish collections.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has made £250 million available in grants to local authorities guaranteeing to retain or reinstate weekly waste collections for at least five years, and demonstrating the potential to increase recycling rates.

But York’s Coun Dafydd Williams, said: “When money is tight, the Government shouldn’t be trying to find ways to cost the taxpayer more money, which this policy would do, particularly when so much effort has gone into encouraging recycling and reduction in waste going to landfill over a number of years.”

He said more cynical people might think the Government wanted more waste so it could get more income through landfill taxes.

“But we have discounted a policy of adding to landfill as irresponsible and a huge backward step. The system of alternate weekly collections works very well in York”.