HOMEOWNERS are kicking up a stink over rubbish

collection plans which could see them being given wheelie bins even if they do not want them.

About 76,000 homes across Adur and Worthing will each be given two wheelie bins, including one for rubbish and another for recycling, under a new council scheme.

Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council, which will provide a joint collection service, have launched a public consultation giving people the chance to vote on which of three waste and recycling options they prefer.

But none of the options includes a "do nothing" choice.

Many residents who do not want wheelie bins are angry that they have been given no say in whether they want wheelie bins or not. Cynthia Dudas, 63, of Chester Avenue, Worthing, said: "I don't want a wheelie bin stuck outside my house. They are not very pretty. We should have been given a fourth option of keeping things as they are.

"It's hardly a public consultation if they are only giving us three options. The councils have made up their minds already and this is just them pushing a bit of paper around. This consultation is just not democracy."

Linda Godfrey, from Kendal Road, Sompting, added: "The only reservation I have is that wheelie bins look a bit unsightly."

The first option being proposed is for alternate weekly recycling and rubbish collections. That will result in estimated savings of £549,000 per year because it would require a reduced number of staff and fewer vehicles.

Option two is for fortnightly recycling and weekly rubbish collections, which would result in extra costs of £157,000 a year.

Option three is for weekly recycling and rubbish collections which, despite there already being weekly collections in Adur and Worthing, would result in increased costs of more than £500,000.

The extra money would be needed to pay more refuse collectors.

Photographer Eddie Mitchell, 40, from Broadwater, who bought his own wheelie bin due to problems with foxes in his area, said it should be up to each individual household whether they use a wheelie bin, rubbish bin or black bag.

He said: "If the councils go with option one, I want to know where the £549,000 of savings will go. Will we see a reduction in council tax? I also don't want to see any job losses. I think we should keep the system as it is.

"It should be down to the choice of each household. Some people, such as the elderly, can't physically use a 4ft wheelie bin."

A fleet of new collection vehicles being bought this year will pick up the rubbish and recycling material together.

Paul Willis, Adur's Waste Strategy Manager, said councillors originally looked at five proposals including a "do nothing" option but decided to consult on just three.

He said: "It was a political decision. Even if we kept the current system the costs would still increase because we would still have to invest in new vehicles as the current ones are coming to the end of their life span. A do nothing' option would not have been a zero cost option. The councillors looked at a number of issues, including cost, health and safety, and scavenger attacks, when deciding which options to consult on."

Worthing councillor Bryan Turner said: "This is an important development for Worthing and Adur which will set out a path for the next ten years so we encourage everyone to give it some serious thought and return their choices back to us."

Leaflets detailing the changes are being sent out to all homes in Worthing and Adur and people are being asked to cast their vote on which option they prefer by sending back the reply slip.

The councils will then take the final decision and must reach a joint agreement.