ALTERNATE weekly bin collections could still be introduced in Basingstoke and Deane, the borough council's environmental chief has admitted.

Earlier this month, Councillor Sean Keating told The Gazette that the scheme - where domestic waste black bins are collected one week and green bins containing recyclable waste are collected the following week - would not work in the borough and was "off the agenda".

But at a meeting of the council's Cabinet on Monday, Cllr Keating admitted that the controversial system is still being investigated by council officers.

Chineham borough councillor Martin Biermann questioned Cllr Keating about the borough council's policy on alternate weekly collection after reading The Gazette's report on the issue.

Cllr Biermann said that he wanted the borough to still consider changes to bin collections, as it could be accepted by residents in the same way that the original introduction of black and green bins had been accepted despite some initial opposition.

He said: "Alternate weekly collection might prove to be accepted - even popular - if it is going to save money and if it is going to increase recycling.

"There might be times when we have to listen to public opinion, but say 'there is a bigger issue here'. We can look at the issues and what is best for the public without, at this stage, expressing a preference."

Cllr Keating replied that alternate weekly collections have not been completely ruled out, but, at the moment, he is concentrating on other methods of boosting recycling, such as starting up kerbside glass recycling.

He said: "We need to do more to improve recycling. Some people see alternate weekly collection as the only answer. I do not see it as that.

"It is being examined and we will continue to receive evidence from those authorities that we visit. That this is part of the answer, I have no doubt.

"We are not closing our minds in total and forever to any option, and we have not ruled anything out in the long term."