It was out with the black sacks and in with the wheelie bins across Gravesham last month, but so far the jury’s out on whether they’ve improved the borough council’s waste collection service.

The bins started being rolled out on June 5 in a bid to keep streets cleaner, ensure fewer bags are ripped to pieces by animals, and increase recycling, which Gravesham council insists is up substantially as a result of the new scheme.

But with the rate of collection changing from weekly to fortnightly, in some cases the introduction of the bins has not had the desired impact.

Residents have contacted the Gravesend Messenger unhappy about the size of the bins, with many running out of room for rubbish well before the two weeks between collections is up.

For some streets it means the problem of black sacks being left on the pavements has become even more pronounced because the council’s collection teams will not take anything that isn’t in the bins.

James Christmas, of Mountbatten Avenue, Higham, said: “The bins are so small you can only get three bags in it.

“The council think they’re doing us a favour but they’re not.

“They’re trying to cut corners and save money but soon it will be costing them more to clear it all up off the roads.

“It’s absolutely disgusting. There are maggots in the bins already, we’ll probably end up with mice and rats and foxes rummaging around in them.This is meant to be the Garden of England.”

Similar problems are plaguing residents in other parts of the borough.

The council’s cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Alan Ridgers (Con), said that while the scheme was in a transition period the majority of residents had a good understanding of how it worked.

He said that the borough was now producing an extra 20 tonnes of recycling each week, with 31,000 bins having been delivered.

“There has also already been a positive impact on the cleanliness of the borough which is great news for the environment and for Gravesham,” he said.

“What we’re doing in Gravesham is not new, with over 70% of councils across the country already on alternate weekly collections and using wheelie bins for both waste and recycling.

“If there is excess side waste alongside the wheeled bins, then residents will receive an information note on the sacks advising them of the new system that is in place.

“As yet no fines have been issued for side waste, however, fines are being issued to people caught fly-tipping.

"It is very important to remember that food waste will continue to be collected weekly.

“Families of six or more or those with a medical reason which produces extra waste may be eligible for a larger wheeled bin.”

Will Giggins, 36, does not have the wheelie bin problem because his family home in Lynton Road South, Gravesend, is a terraced property and so did not receive one.

But the rate of collection has already been an issue.

Mr Giggins uses his own bins outside to store rubbish before moving the sacks out front to be collected, but after two weeks they were inundated with maggots and flies.

He said: “I’ve got an 18-month-old baby so you’re looking at 10 dirty nappies a day, so by the end of two weeks there could be 140 nappies in there.

“All that plus the food, things like rotting meat, it’s disgusting, especially with the heat because we can’t open the windows because it smells so bad.”

Heather Parry, 50, of Havelock Road, Gravesend, said she and a number of her neighbours had complained to the council and heard nothing back.

"It just seems to me that it’s a way for them to do less work,” she said.

“Bins are overflowing, some people are still putting rubbish sacks out and they don’t get collected.

“Lots of people’s bins have got maggots and when we had the heat the other week the whole road absolutely stank, it was disgusting.”

Find out more at www.gravesham.gov.uk/waste.