'˜Luton bin changes are getting us down in the dumps!'

The matter will be debated at the next full council meeting next Tuesday, after a petition of more than 1,400 signatures was submitted in protest of the changes.

The petition was drawn up by four mosques in Luton and was handed into the council’s headquarters last month.

Organiser Akbar Dad Khan has been allocated five minutes at the meeting to put forward the case against fortnightly bin collections. He said: “The community is pleased that the council has availed us the opportunity to re-examine the whole issue of fortnightly bin clearances. Those councillors who have been attending community meetings and expressing their opposition to the plans now have an opportunity to veto according to their conscience.”

He said there would be continued opposition to the two-weekly collections even if the council chooses to continue with the scheme.

One angry resident told the Herald and Post that excess bags of rubbish were being placed next to bins, which were later left untaken during the bi-weekly collections.

In a plea for the council, she said: “Every two weeks doesn’t work. The streets have become an utter mess in such a short time.

“The streets were already dirty before this change, but now is just chaos. This is disgraceful for a city which envisions Culture and Prosperity! Don’t you think? Clean streets and neighborhoods is the face of the town and is crucial for the community’s well-being!

“Changing bin collection schedule is not the way to ‘encourage people to recycle more’. The majority of people will continue their habits and will not change their behaviour. Please find other ways to cut costs and achieve your savings goals, with a benefit for all!”