TORY backbench councillors revolted against their leaders’ plans for fortnightly black bin bag collections.

Conservative members Norman Ladzrie, for St James’s ward, Hadleigh, and Bill Dick, for St Peter’s ward, Thundersley, led the rebellion during a meeting of Castle Point Council’s overview and scrutiny committee.

They tried unsuccessfully to get the ruling cabinet’s waste collection plans, set to be introduced in April next year, referred back to full council for review.

The changes will involve plastic containers being provided for food and garden waste, which will be collected once a week along with pink sacks containing other recyclable rubbish.

Black bin bags, containing non-recyclable rubbish, will only be collected fortnightly, rather than once a week as at present.

Mr Dick and Mr Ladzrie repeatedly claimed during the meeting that Tory cabinet member for rubbish collection Ray Howard had not properly answered their questions.

These revolved around whether a public consultation into the plans had misled residents.

The pair also questioned whether the changes would prove unpopular if smelly rubbish in black sacks was left to fester for a fortnight and pulled apart by foxes.

Mr Howard raised his voice to Mr Dick during the discussion.

He said: “I have been very open throughout this process and I do not accept for one minute that I have tried to stifle debate.”

Cabinet members pointed out half of the 3,525 people who completed the public consultation had voted for the council’s chosen option of collecting non-recyclable waste fortnightly, pink sacks every other week, and food and garden waste once a week.

Just 27 per cent voted for the second option, which offered weekly non-recyclable waste collection, weekly food and garden waste collection and fortnightly pink sack collections.

The third option, offering fortnightly non-recyclable waste collection, weekly food and garden waste collection and weekly pink sack collection, received 23 per cent support.

However, the consultation form did not specify that non-recyclable waste referred to black bag collections, which it was argued may have confused some residents.

Mr Ladzrie claimed the changes would go against national Tory policy, and said Mr Howard had previously committed the council to keeping weekly black bag collections.

Mr Ladzrie and Mr Dick were told by the borough solicitor they had not produced enough evidence backing their arguments to justify referring the issue back to full council.