JUST a week after the launch of the unitary authority, Cherhill resident Jimmie Wright has slammed the new council as rubbish over rules around bin collections.

Mr Wright’s home in Maiden Lane is unsuitable for waste collection to be made from a wheeled bin because there are several steps leading up to the main road.

He puts his rubbish out in plastic bin bags with a sticker marking it as household waste.

But he has now been told that without a Wiltshire Council label the bags will not be picked up.

Mr Wright, 66, said: “I was supplied with a quantity of sacks by North Wiltshire District Council clearly marked with their name.

“I have enough of these sacks for about another nine months.

“I also have 120 labels supplied by the district council to attach to any sacks that I might need to buy.

“At one sack per week these would last me for over two years and it is so silly that I cannot use the labels.”

Mr Wright had a letter from Wiltshire Council saying he can use the NWDC black bags but warning him if he does not attach a green Wiltshire Council label the waste will not be collected.

He said: “This leaves me with 120 redundant labels previously supplied by North Wilts and the replacement cost of these labels is £25.

“I can understand the stipulations as to the size and strength of the plastic bag.

“But I cannot understand why a bag clearly marked NWDC now has to have a label marked Wiltshire Council.”

A council spokesman said: “The latest batch of stickers has been sent out with the new Wiltshire Council name on them however we will of course collect bags with either old North Wiltshire District Council labels or Wiltshire Council labels on them.”