Communities secretary Eric Pickles has attacked the ‘tall stories’ spread by ‘fortnightly bin barons’, in new guidance sent to English councils.

Issuing a ‘bin bible’ to local authorities, Pickles said communities deserved a ‘comprehensive’ seven day collection service in return for payment of their council tax bills.

Distributed over the Christmas period, the guide highlights work by Bournemouth BC, Lewes DC and Ribble Valley Council to introduce ‘innovative’ approaches to bin collection.

Councils should be listening to the demands of their residents by protecting weekly bin collections, which can be upheld at ‘little or no extra cost’ - the publication claims.

‘If councils adopt this new guide as their “bin bible”, they will be able to save taxpayers’ money and still increase the frequency and quality of rubbish and recycling collections,’ Pickles said.

Responding to the guidance, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) urged DCLG to commit to sharing best practice rather than ‘dogma and confrontation’.

‘In seeking to undermine the concept of and evidence base for fortnightly or variable frequency collections, it shows little respect for the local decision making process enshrined in the Government’s Localism Act and the significant efforts made by local authorities to provide “value for money” collection and recycling services that meet residents’ needs while keeping costs down and delivering maximum environmental benefit,’ CIWM chief executive, Steve Lee, said.

‘Once again, it would appear that chasing headlines has taken priority over providing a policy framework that supports councils in the difficult decisions that they are currently having to make about local service provision.’