HOUSEHOLDERS in Hyndburn may get wheelie bins in future after refuse collection bosses carry out a study.

The council's environmental services committee has agreed to pay for an investigation into whether new bins will improve the service.

Conservative councillors were against the move, but it was voted through by Labour members and lone independent Adrian Shurmer.

A report told councillors that when new bins were introduced by other councils, they were unpopular with residents at first, but once "teething problems" had been sorted out, people generally thought they were an improvement on bin bags.

The report stated that wheelie bins protect rubbish from vermin and are more hygienic than bin bags.

But the borough's narrow back streets could limit the effectiveness of a wheelie bin system, with bin wagons unable to drive down many back streets.

The report accepted that not all houses in the borough would be suitable for a wheelie bin.

Three of the borough's wagons will need replacing before April, and officers will need to know whether to buy new ones with conventional lifting gear or ones which can take wheelie bins.

Director of operations Allan Hodge said: "We will need to look at the layout of houses and width of streets in the borough to see if wheelie bins are suitable.

"Every borough in East Lancashire is different and it is important that the necessary preparation is done, because if we decide to buy wagons with lifting gear for wheelie bins, we can't go back."

The investigation is expected to be completed by next June and if councillors decide to introduce wheelie bins, they will be supplied to properties in the borough in phases.

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