READERS have been getting in touch to share their views on Flintshire Council's plans to introduce monthly black bin collections in the county.

Last week, the Leader reported that the plans look set to go ahead in a bid to improve recycling rates.

Flintshire Council is currently facing the threat of fines of more than £1m after missing the Welsh Government target of recycling 64 per cent of the rubbish it collects for the last four financial years.

With the goal set to increase to 70 per cent in 2024/25, the local authority is now looking to only pick up general waste from residents once every four weeks.

It comes as a report going to backbench councillors tomorrow (Tuesday) shows 13,410 tonnes (58 per cent) of rubbish put in black bins by residents in 2022/23 could have been recycled.

But the plans have been met with opposition, with a petition set up by Mostyn resident Andy Walters currently gathering pace.

Leader readers have also been getting in touch to give us their views on the proposals.

Linda Fairclough said: "This will become another money making scheme, as the bins will be full and the lids will not fully close so they will be sending extra staff out to issue fines, can only imagine how much money they will fleece people for."

Joanne Golding added: "What do we pay our council tax for? They closed the skips 2 days a week and look to reduce the general waste collection to monthly, they’ll spend more clearing up fly tipping!"

Ste Roberts told us: "Have they not seen the chaos it has caused in Denbighshire going to monthly bin collections? And what about houses with big families? Are we then going to get bigger bins? I doubt it - which will lead to overflowing bins which will attract animals who will rip open the bags and leave rubbish all over the streets."

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Sadie Cossa said: "We are a family of five and seven on a weekend and we can’t get a bigger black bin. We just about get two weeks worth in our black bin. And I recycle everything. Many family’s will struggle with monthly collections."

Nanette Davies added: "In hot weather, the bins would be stinking. It is unhealthy to only collect bins once a month. We can’t recycle anymore than we are doing now. Yes, we could last a month, but it would encourage rats and maggots and bad smells."

Alicia Rodderick said: "More fly tipping will be increased, costing them more money."

Jayne Connelly added: "Why don't they let us - the people who pay for this - have a say!!"

Liz Reece told us: "Very very bad idea. Please don’t let FCC or Welsh Labour do this without taxpayers permission. Many of us are struggling with the bins as it is."

Commenting on the petition, which is now at over 200 signatures, Jim Evans said: "Good luck with that - 460,000 were ignored over the 20mph fiasco."

Others did not see any potential change made by the council as an issue.

Johnny Diamond told us: "There must be a lot of people not bothered to separate their waste. "All there is in my black bin is non recyclable plastic wrappers, crisp packets etc. Two adults and a child in our house so admittedly not like a big family. But my black bin rarely gets over full after two weeks. Anything else I take to recycling centre. If people recycle more we won’t be getting these changes."

The proposals will be considered by members of the council's environment and economy scrutiny committee when they meet on Tuesday (July 16).