WEEKLY bin collections could be brought back in York under new proposals reportedly being considered by the Government.

Ministers are looking at offering cash incentives to councils to encourage them to revert from fortnightly to weekly collections, according to national reports, and York’s council leader said he would look at such an idea seriously.

More than half of councils have moved to fortnightly collections in recent years, as part of a drive to cut costs and encourage recycling, and Government calls for a U-turn have largely been ignored.

National newspaper reports now say that £100 million may be set aside to effectively pay councils to make the change back to weekly collections.

James Alexander, leader of City of York Council, gave a cautious response to the idea.

He said: “We will look at the Government’s proposal seriously when details are released.

“If the Government will fully foot the additional funding required this could be a goer.

“However, we would want to ensure such a proposal would not hinder recycling efforts that not only help the environment, but also reduce cost to the council taxpayer by reducing money spent on landfill tax.”

The “alternate week collections” have proven unpopular with householders amid concerns that leaving rubbish for up to a fortnight is unhygienic and attracts vermin. It has also been claimed it has led to a rise in fly-tipping.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is to publish a waste review shortly, but declined to confirm or deny the reports.

A spokesman said: “We won’t comment on speculation about the final detail of the waste review.

“It is important that the right polices are in place to help communities and businesses reduce waste and maximise recovery of materials through recycling.”