Calls to bring wheelie bins to Merton were trashed by the borough’s Conservatives at a full council meeting last week.

Despite claims the borough’s streets are strewn with waste as foxes tear through black bags, a motion to give residents the choice of having the bins was rejected by the local authority’s controlling party.

The Labour party motion was condemned amid claims the bins would clutter up streets, cost up to £2.8m to introduce borough-wide, and reduce the efficiency of waste collections by more than 40 per cent.

Speaking after Wednesday’s meeting, Councillor David Simpson, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Labour had 16 years in power to introduce wheelie bins, I won’t take lessons from them now.

There is no consensus among residents suggesting this is what they want.

“We’re progressing with the composting of kitchen waste, now collecting 16 tonnes of rubbish a week from 10,000 homes across Merton that would otherwise go to landfill.

“The way forward is to expand this across the whole borough, also reducing the problems some residents are experiencing with foxes.”

But the leader of Merton’s Labour group, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, said: “Everyone has noticed that the streets of Merton are dirtier than they used to be.

“And it’s worse on bin days when the foxes rip black bags open and there’s unsightly rubbish all over our streets. Rubbish that it takes the council days to sweep up.

“All we’re asking is that people get the choice to have wheelie bins if they want them. This would also help increase recycling. The Tories say they are concerned about recycling. Well bringing in wheelie bins is the best and quickest way to increase recycling. So why won’t they do it?”

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