POTENTIAL changes to waste collection services in Christchurch have moved a step closer to reality.

Councillors at Christchurch’s community services committee approved recommendations to revise the collections as part of a countywide operation by Dorset Waste Partnership.

The changes, which include a weekly food waste collection, a fortnightly optional charged garden waste collection, a fortnightly recycling collection and a fortnightly restricted residual waste collection, will now go to full council for a decision on November 29.

The new service would provide each household with three new bins – a seven-litre kitchen caddy, a 23-litre food waste container, a 140-litre residual waste wheeled bin as well as a 55-litre box for recyclable materials.

Most households in the borough currently only have the 55-litre box for recycling.

One of the aims of the Dorset service is to tailor it to meet the needs of the majority of households regarding storage and types of property.

If approved, the service could be rolled out in Christchurch by October 2012.

The DWP said that bringing collections together into a countywide service could drive down costs, potentially by as much as £2m per year.

Back in 2008, former leader of the council, Cllr Alan Griffiths vowed not to compromise the current level of service in signing up to the partnership.

He said: “Christchurch will not sign up unless we are guaranteed weekly bin collections. We will not enter this agreement unless it is of benefit to people in Christchurch and members agree.

“We can’t do nothing and turn away. We need to find a solution.”

A final decision will be made at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, November 29 at 6pm.