WASTE collection dates are set to change across the North Cotswold district next week.

For residents receiving the full collection of refuse, recycling, food and garden waste, the changes will come into effect from Monday, September 19.

The changes will affect 70 per cent of residents living in the Cotswold district.

After the change is introduced, some households will have to wait more than a fortnight for their first collection.

As a result, Ubico crews will collect additional refuse and recycling on the scheduled day of the first collection after Monday, September 19. Rubbish should be placed in bin liner and recycling in a cardboard box.

Cllr Sue Coakley, the Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: "The changes are being introduced to counter the impact of a significant increase in the numbers of properties in the District, especially in areas where large new developments have been built.

"This has resulted in increasingly heavy workloads for Ubico Ltd crews on some refuse and recycling collection rounds, while other rounds are far less busy in comparison.

"Rebalancing the rounds will enable Ubico to improve efficiency by maximising the effectiveness of current resources and should also absorb the impact of further property development over the next few years.

"Continuing with current arrangements would have resulted in considerable extra costs for taxpayers through the purchase of new trucks and the hiring of extra crews on certain days - both would then be surplus to requirements on several days, representing a considerable waste of public money."

Cllr Coakley said a letter had been posted to households informing residents of the changes, and instructing them to have their bins out by 7am on the day of collection.

She stressed that residents should study the revised timetable posted to households to find out when collections will be taking place.

In the south of the district, the new timetable will come into force from Monday, September 26.

For more information visit cotswold.gov.uk