Householders in west Oxfordshire face a major shake-up with their waste collections — with bins being emptied once-a-fortnight.

Just a week after Conservative Party leader and Witney MP David Cameron pledged to allow councils to revert back to weekly waste rounds if they wanted, Tory-controlled west Oxfordshire is ploughing ahead with the controversial changes.

The new system will involve a mixture of weekly and fortnightly collections, with separate containers for waste food, garden clippings and other recyclables for every household.

West Oxfordshire District Council is pressing ahead with plans to implement the new system by April 2010, despite a rethink announced last week about controversial fortnightly collections in Oxford.

Under the proposed changes each home will have: • A 240-litre wheelie bin, emptied once a fortnight, for general, non-recyclable waste • 25-litre caddy for food waste, emptied weekly • A 240-litre green wheelie bin for garden waste, emptied fortnightly • Two 55-litre black recycling boxes for cans, bottles, plastics, paper and cardboard, emptied weekly Bigger bins and boxes would be provided for larger families.

The overhaul of the waste collection system will meet increased demand for recyclable material, and is designed to slash the amount going to landfill.

A 'carrot and stick' approach will see councils receiving financial benefits from the Government for cutting landfill waste — and penalties for making no progress.

An existing voluntary green bin system, adopted by more than 3,000 homes, costs £30 a year. In future it will be free.

David Harvey, the district council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "We have targets to meet, so have to change.

"We have always maintained that here in west Oxfordshire, we would want to stay with weekly collections for food and recyclables. The scheme allows us to do that."

The council is Tory controlled, but Mr Harvey said last week's Conservative Party pledge to reinstate weekly collections to every household in the country was not applicable to west Oxfordshire because of its commitment to retain weekly collections of some items.

District council leader Barry Norton said: "The only items that will be collected fortnightly are those that can't go in the other bins. Food waste will be collected weekly.

"We are trying to enter into the spirit of the Conservative promise, and do everything we can not to annoy the general public and produce some of the best recycling rates we can."

The news provoked mixed reactions from residents.

Mother of two, Natalie Lee corrfrom Burwell Meadow, Witney, labelled the plans "ridiculous". She said: "It seems to me it's going to be highly confusing. There could also be a risk that people won't know what waste to put out each week and instead shove it in the normal bin, which would be a huge shame."

But Joan Goodwin corr, of Crawley Road, Witney, said: "It's a good idea. I pay at the moment because I like to know waste is being disposed of properly. But it will be a relief to know that it will be free."

Mollie Madge, from Elm Close, Witney, said: "It's a good idea and will encourage people to recycle more. But the system seems to be confusing."

Mr Cameron was unavailable for comment last night.