AN OUTGOING garden waste collection scheme has been branded “a complete disaster”.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Gwyneth Deakins, representing the Roding ward, blasted the Labour administration for not listening to criticisms of a scheme that was “not fit for purpose”.

Cllr Jas Athwal, Labour leader of Redbridge Council, said the eight-month-old trial of the fee-paid green garden waste service would be replaced by a fortnightly service using the ‘old-style bag’ from next March.

The change comes following the Our Streets Commission Report. Households with gardens will be provided with bags.

The change amounts to an “embarrassing climb down” and is a result of Labour failing to take heed of concerns.

Cllr Deakins said: “The scheme they introduced has been a complete disaster and this is an embarrassing climb down.

“They were told by everybody that the scheme wouldn’t work and that the bags were not fit for purpose. They didn’t listen. The whole thing has been a complete shambles.”

The new scheme, which will run until November 2018, is better but almost by default.

She said: “The replacement scheme isn’t as good as the service before where it was collected all year round. It’s an improvement but the last scheme was such a disaster it had to be an improvement.”

Cllr Jas Athwal said: “The previous service was subsidised by a grant that ended and effectively having to find another £40m worth of cuts meant until we found another way to deliver the service, it was prudent to suspend the free service, however, now that we are close to balancing the budget we have listened to residents’ concerns and we will deliver the new service at a fraction of the previous cost.

“Balancing much loved services against the ongoing costs required to provide vital care to the elderly and vulnerable, alongside continued government cuts, is challenging and means we must consider innovative changes to every service we provide.

“Following the Our Streets commission report, we've reviewed the service as I promised earlier in the year, and after considering all the options we have decided a free fortnightly service would be the best way forward.”

The changes stem from £125 million of cuts by central government since 2011.

Redbridge Council also announced a Christmas tree amnesty in early 2018 for the collection of dead Christmas trees.

More details will be announced in an upcoming Cabinet report in November.