CONTROVERSIAL bin collection changes will be a "nightmare" and cause an unpleasant time for Southampton, angry city councillors say

Weekly bin collection are set to end in the city in a bid to save millions of pounds and bosses say they aim to recycle 36 per cent of the rubbish it collects.

But residents and councillors have complained and Conservative David Fuller told the Daily Echo the plans could cause major problems and bring an increase in fly tipping.

He said: "In the first few months we are going to see bin bags on streets, rats and vermin, and it is going to be an unpleasant time in the city."

Jeremy Moulton, leader of the Conservative group, said: "If it is a nightmare and it continues to be pretty bad, what's the contingency?"

The matter was discussed at a city council meeting with changes due to come in on June 5.

Under the new scheme, household waste will be collected one week and recycling waste the next, and about 70,000 households will be affected.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, council chiefs trialled fortnightly collections in 2004 – but scrapped them after more than 3,600 residents signed a Daily Echo-backed petition calling for a rethink.

Tory Daniel Fitzhenry asked for a promise at the meeting that the council wouldn't move to three-weekly bin collections.

Cllr Jacqui Rayment, cabinet member for environment and transport, admitted that the move could happen in future.

She said: "At this point in time I can guarantee that we are not looking, in any shape or form, at three-weekly collections.

"That's not on my agenda - in future years I can't say no because we are not sure.

Regarding the change to fortnightly collections, she said: "I think we will spike and have a few weeks where it does not look very good, and we have issues with bins and people not disposing of their rubbish properly."