Implementation of a new council refuse collection policy has left local residents up in arms in the terraced areas of Leeman Road and Poppleton Road.

The fiasco led to 51 residents attending a special meeting on Tuesday evening with Councillors and council officers to express their anger and upset at the changes.

The problem concerns the expectation by the council that residents should store their refuse in black bags at the rear of their properties, and present it for collection at the front of their properties. This means often wet and festering refuse sacks have to be brought through kitchens and livings rooms for depositing outside the front door.

Holgate ward councillor Sonja Crisp explained residents' opposition to the new policy. She said:

"Residents are furious at what they see at double standards for people who live in different parts of the city. Many still enjoy rear alley collections, while this new system has been foisted on residents in the Leeman Road and Poppleton Road areas.

"The council say they cannot access the now gated back alleys, which is just an excuse as only 5 lanes have been gated and the Executive Member responsible Coun. Steve Galloway decided he would vary the collections for those, thus causing confusion and resentment.

"The council has said also that they cannot expect waste collectors to collect all the bags down each alley, as they will be too heavy for them and could cause back problems. This is a dreadful response and demonstrates how ill-conceived this policy is. It's shifting the responsibility for most of the lifting required to residents and away from the council, presumably in order to save time and money. But it's unacceptable and residents will fight it".

Labour spokesperson for Neighbourhood Services, Coun. Ken King, whose portfolio covers waste collections was equally damning, saying:

"The council needs to go back to square one and review this policy as it is quite evident from the strength of opposition at Tuesday night's Holgate ward committee meeting that residents are not prepared to accept what they regard as an unreasonable change."

"An alternative would have been to offer a window of time for residents to deposit their refuse at the end of each back alley, leaving the lorries to collect it all in one go, but somewhat belligerently the Executive Member has refused to agree this option, other than a limited trial for a couple of streets".

Residents have already got a petition together which is quickly gaining widespread support "

Coun. Crisp added:

"The absence of green bins for properties with gardens in the area is a whole separate issue but one which gives credence to the local view that the council couldn't care less about residents in these terraced areas. What on earth are residents supposed to do with garden waste?

"Once again the Lib Dem Executive has shown itself incapable of implementing the right policy by implementing the wrong one, and implementing it badly. Residents would be justified in thinking they have been forgotten in the council's More for York programme, as they are most certainly getting less than their fellow residents as things stand".