COUNCIL environment bosses have moved to defend their plans to reduce the frequency of bin collections to help meet recycling targets.

And they have now pledged that fortnightly wheelie bin collections will not be introduced in every part of Bolton.

Councillor Donald Grime, executive member for direct services, claimed the arrangements are not about cost cutting but meeting Bolton Council's statutory recycling duties.

Many homes are to receive an extra green wheelie bin for garden waste which will be collected on alternate weeks, together with a green recycling box for glass, cans and plastic bottles plus the usual black refuse bin, as previously reported in the Bolton Evening News.

However, he toned down his earlier suggestion that the scheme would eventually be spread to the whole of the borough.

Cllr Grime said: "There will be extensive consultation before the scheme is rolled out and it is not proposed to introduce the new service where there is not a general willingness to take part or where it would be clearly impractical."

Current and future participants in the scheme are expected to account for less than a quarter of all homes in Bolton, he added.

"With a weekly collection of paper by Paperchase as well, the average mixed refuse bin should be less than half full, so there should be little to worry about," said Cllr Grime.

Bolton Council has to achieve a 10 per cent recycling target by March 2004 and 18 per cent by March 2006.

Those households not on the scheme will continue to receive a weekly black bin collection.

The council will try again to introduce better recycling sites together with improvements in the civic amenity sites at Raikes Lane, Union Road and Nightingale Farm, Blackrod.