COUNCILLORS have voted to axe weekly black bag collections despite heavy opposition.

Malvern Hills District Council voted to make the collections fortnightly, in a bid to save £250,000 from the waste and recycling budget.

Recycling and black bin collections will happen on alternate weeks when the change comes into effect from April 2018.

Cllr Tom Wells asked the council to undertake a pubic consultation before making the decision but his amendment was rejected by 21 votes to 13.

Some councillors at the meeting, on Tuesday, February 21, said they had found support for the proposal among local parish councils.

Cllr Phil Grove, Leader of the Council, added that he had not received responses from the Malvern Gazette's article on the proposal.

Cllr Wells said: "You can't get away with this. At the moment you have no democratic mandate to do what you are doing.

"You will pay a big price in the next election. You are all honourable members but you are about to do a very dishonourable thing."

Cllr Dean Clarke said: "Surely the only reason they don't want a consultation is because they are afraid of the answer."

Cllr Anthony Warburton said councillors could sacrifice their allowances as this would increase their enthusiasm to find savings.

Members of the opposition drew attention to a Conservative election manifesto which pledged to maintain weekly black bin bag collections.

Cllr Bronwen Behan, portfolio holder for environment on Malvern Hills District Council, said: "I think we made it clear this has been financially driven.

"The council has comfortably weathered the storm for a long time and this is the point we have reached.

"We have to find these savings. This council has always wanted to maintain black sack. We are aware residents appreciate the service we provide.

"However, we also know residents want us to do other things like helping people access affordable housing, keeping the environment clean and tidy, providing more leisure activities or supporting people to remain healthy."

Cllr Behan noted that the council was the last in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire to offer a weekly service.

The motion to collect black bags every other week was passed by 24 votes to nine, with one abstention.

Households will be given new wheelie bins for their black sacks.  

The district council has a £1.45m budget gap which needs to be plugged by 2020/2021.

The council faces a real terms cut of £4.5m to its government grant by 2020.