Kerbside glass collections in Kirklees are likely not to return anytime soon as nervous council chiefs wrestle with making the right choice to ensure the borough gets government funding for the expensive service.

It’s just over a year since Kirklees Council announced: “Glass collections are coming back.” Yet after asking the public to decide on how glass might be collected – such as via a “caddy” inside a green bin – a senior manager said there had been no solid preference. The council is now investigating options.

Will Acornley, the council’s head of operational services, said the decision was not an easy one to make, and a mistake would potentially be costly. He said: “We’re going to be spending significant amounts of money and we want to get it right because we won’t be able to afford to do it a second time.”

He added: “Government keep kicking the can down the road on exactly what they’re asking of us. What we’re a bit nervous of at the moment is implementing something that may preclude us from getting funding.

“Unfortunately … the lack of clarity isn’t helping the situation, which is why we’re focusing more on trials … to be ready to be able to apply for different funding streams.”