AN Ilkley councillor has raised concerns with Bradford Council about waste collections being reduced for residents living on rural routes in the town.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) said: "Bradford Council are reviewing and reducing the waste collection methods particularly in relation to the rural routes and rural areas.

"These routes have used small collection wagons in order to get to outlying areas - roads with steep gradients. There are drives in Ilkley which are far too steep to expect residents of either sex to manoeuvre bins fully loaded.

"Concerns have been sent to the department but not achieved a successful outcome.”

However, a spokesperson for Bradford Council said: “There is no suggestion that people living at the end of steep drives will have to manoeuvre heavy, fully-loaded bins for them to be collected by Bradford Council.

“Any changes are part of our policy to move to alternate week collections - in line with the rest of the district’s residents - for people who previously had their waste collected weekly by van instead of bin wagons.

“We determine the safest place for the bins to be situated and we inform residents individually of their new arrangements, providing full details of the changes and when they will take place, so their bins can be emptied by either a 16 or 26 tonne vehicle.

“This will mean that people will have to deposit their waste into the bin at the end of the drive which can be done in passing when they go out. The wheeled bin can remain where it is at the collection point.

“If we determine it is not safe, or access prohibits a bin wagon being able to safely access certain properties then these will remain on a transit collection but will still move to alternate week collections.”

Anyone needing assisted collections such as disabled people or the elderly can find information about the service at: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/bin-collections/assisted-collections-help-moving-your-bins/ or by telephoning 01274 43100.