THE councillor behind Basildon’s “failed” new bin collection scheme has admitted it “hasn’t gone to plan” as he promised to make changes urgently.

A 2,600-strong petition calling for the new scheme, which has seen residents asked to split waste into six separate bins and sacks, was presented to the council on Tuesday night amid calls for collections to be reverted.

Kevin Blake, councillor responsible for environment, admitted he is “big enough” to accept when things have gone wrong and has now promised to remove two of the new sacks.

As things stand, there is no clear plan on how the blue and white recycling bags will be replaced, but furious residents have continued to demand the scheme is scrapped altogether.

Previously, recycling was collected in pink sacks, but now households have to split their waste into a variety of sacks.

Kevin Blake, Conservative councillor responsible for environment, carbon reduction and waste enforcement, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve our service.

“I am big enough, and certainly ugly enough, to admit when things haven’t gone as according to plan.

“Therefore, we will be replacing reusable sacks. I have asked officers to develop options for their replacement and seek to make improvements on this moving forward.

“We will ensure we get this right.”

Residents still remain unhappy with the bin collection service despite the promise of adaptations.

Jacqueline La Roche, 50, from Great Berry, said: “The new system is a complete failure.

“Black bags are dumped everywhere as the council refuses to take bags outside of the wheelie bins.

“The bins are a good idea, if doing weekly collections. But it does not work with the fortnightly collections.

“I feel very sad that our lovely streets look such a state. It is a shame.”

Sue Glenister, in her 50s, from Laindon, added: “Even before day one the new collection services you could tell it hadn’t been thought through properly. A few times, my black bin hasn’t been emptied. The reusable bags fly around the streets on a windy day. These changes won’t be enough.”

During the meeting, Alex Harrison, Labour councillor responsible for Lee Chapel North, highlighted issues with “mountains of black and pinks sacks” left across the borough.