CLEANSING bosses have admitted keeping the public in the dark about alternatives to large wheelie bins for their rubbish.

But anyone who wants to know what sizes of bins are available may have an exhausting wait in front of them.

Smaller wheelie bins are available for people who think that large ones are unwieldy and unmanageable, but most people are unaware they have a choice.

Tony Capas, Bradford's senior district cleansing manager said it was decided to keep quiet about the smaller bins to prevent everyone asking for them.

He told a meeting of Addingham Parish Council that the strategy was decided upon after consultations with local authorities which had already introduced wheelie bins in their areas.

Mr Capas said that if people were told about the small bins they would immediately request them in large numbers and then find out they were too small for their needs.

Mr Capas said: "If you tell people about the smaller bins they all go for the smaller ones and we have to change them.

"We have got that from other local authorities. Don't tell people straight away. They find that they are too small and we will be running about all over the place changing them," said Mr Capas.

The smaller bins have a capacity of 140 litres as opposed to the larger 240-litre capacity bins. They are slightly shorter and substantially thinner.

Mr Capas said that Bradford Council was expecting opposition when wheelie bins were introduced but he was confident that people would get used to them eventually.

"Everyone is up in arms when they first try it - after a period of time it does settle down," he said.

Parish councillors told Mr Capas that there was a safety problem caused by wheelie bins being left on narrow pavements on Main Street in Addingham.

Mothers with young children and pushchairs were having to walk in the busy road to get round them and elderly people found the bins an obstacle.

Parish council chairman Alan Jerome said: "It would be helpful if we can get some response to the problem of bins on the pavement. It is a problem which needs to be addressed.

"We are responsible for our mothers taking their children to playgroup, getting them there safely and getting them home safe. We expect cleansing to take this seriously."

Mr Capas promised to send someone out when the bins are being emptied in Addingham next week to see what could be done to solve the problem.

During the meeting Mr Capas gave out Bradford Council's special wheelie Hotline number for people who have problems with their new bins - 01274 752525.

However, when the Gazette tried ringing it on Friday it turned out to be rather difficult to make contact.

The Gazette rang a total of 10 times between 10.50am and 12.50pm, getting the engaged signal each time before finally giving up.

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