A group of residents are fighting Ashford council’s insistence that they switch to new wheelie rubbish bins.

They say there is no room in their “postage stamp” front gardens to keep the bins and, as they live in terraced cottages, they can’t store them at the back.

Colin Samson, of Brickwall Terrace, Susan’s Hill, Woodchurch, contacted the council after getting a letter about the new recycling scheme. A council officer has visited him.

“He had already made up his mind. He said we must put the bins in the front gardens,” said Mr Samson.

“The gardens are postage stamp size and mine is a real sun trap, but I don’t want to sit out there with two stinking bins next to me.

“We are all against this. None of us want the bins, we want to keep the black sacks.”

The only access to the four cottages is along a path which belongs to Mr Samson’s neighbour, over which they all have right of access.

Mr Samson’s front garden is around 16ft by 12ft. The back gardens are reached by walking across the rear of all the cottages. Mr Samson said there is a step and he would be unable to manoeuvre a wheelie bin that far.

He added: “I am all for recycling, but don’t want these bins.”

Under the new Ashford council recycling scheme, homes deemed suitable for wheelie bins will get one for recycling, one for non-recyclable goods, a waste food container and a small food caddy for inside the house.

Collections under the new system begin in July.

Residents are being urged to give the new recycling system a fair trial.

An Ashford council spokesman said: “We are asking all residents who have outside space and who have been allocated wheeled bins to try the system first so they can realistically judge how well the bins work and identify any problems.

“If, after a few weeks, a resident finds the bins are completely unworkable, we will reassess their property to see if a smaller bin or sack collections would be more suitable.

“As ever, anyone who is elderly or disabled and who cannot move their recycling or refuse to the kerb for collection can apply for assisted collections.”