RESIDENTS with gardens are having to drive to rubbish tips to get rid of their waste because they are only allowed to fill one wheelie-bin a week.

Until last month, waste from residents' gardens was collected in refuse bags, but now it has to be crammed into a single 180 litre wheelie bin for weekly collection.

Anyone who now leaves more than that faces unlimited fines raising fears that fly-tipping will be encouraged.

The district council says it made the switch because the plastic bags cost too much to recycle, but residents are angry that it does not take into account the sheer amount of waste generated by their gardens.

Michael McGough, 60, of Wellfields in Loughton, said: “Under the new scheme I can only fill up my bin once a week but I have a 200 ft garden which generates much more waste. I can compost some of it but it means I have to drive to the tip which defeats the purpose. It is nonsense.”

Neighbour, Sue Taylor, added: “I also have a 200ft garden and there is no way I can fit everything in the bin. I can understand the council changing from bags to bins because of foxes ripping the bags open, but if the bins are going to be collected once a week then people may have to drive to dump the rubbish.”

Since the new service went live at the start of the month, the Guardian has been deluged by calls and letters from residents concerned about the new collection arrangements, the difficulty of finding storage space for the bins, and possibly hygiene risks from caddies which have been distributed for kitchen waste.

Under pressure from residents, the council has now agreed to reconsider the scheme.

A spokesman said: “At cabinet, councillors looked again at the particular problems of a small number of residents who have very large gardens and agreed that in special circumstances a second food and garden wheelie bin might be made available, following individual assessment.

“People who think they might need a second wheelie bin will need to talk to the council first to make sure other options, such as garden composting have also been considered.”

Mr McGough is far from happy from the council's response.

He said: “It is wrong that residents should have to be so pro-active on this issue because highly paid individuals have not undertaken any sort of impact assessment before introducing drastic changes.”

Mr McGough added the council did not need to have individual assessments because the planning department has detailed Ordnance Survey mapping of every home in the district.

So far the council has delivered 46,000 wheelie bins to residents and a further 3,000 curb side caddies.

If residents require a second 240 litre wheelie bin they will have to pay for it but the council so far has not revealed how much it will cost.

To contact the council call 01992 564 608 or visit eppingforestdc.gov.uk