PLANS to pilot a revised recycling service and move to three-weekly brown bin collections in parts of St Helens town centre are due to get the green light this week.

A council report confirms the local authority is proposing undertaking a collection trial at approximately 1,000 properties, across two areas within the Town Centre ward.

The pilot will continue to include the weekly collection of all plastics, food waste, paper, plastics and cans. However, it will use a mix of existing and new recycling containers.

Brown bins – containing non-recyclable material – will be collected every three weeks, rather than two, under the plans.

The report, due to be discussed by cabinet members in St Helens on Wednesday, says the council will carry out “extensive community engagement” in the two trial areas during the pilot.

Following the trial period, cabinet will review the results of the pilot with a view to rolling out across the borough.

The council believe the changes, which are estimated to save £1.4 million over seven years, have the “potential” to improve the borough’s recycling rate.

The Merseyside Waste composition study in 2015-16 found that up to 52 per cent of landfill waste in St Helens was recyclable, with food accounting for almost a third of this.

In 2016-17 the recycling rate was 38.9 per cent, but this is expected to fall to 35 per cent by 2018-19 if the authority sticks with the current waste system.

This falls short of the national and local 50 per cent recycling target as set out in the Joint Recycling and Waste Management Strategy for Merseyside.

If the council does not reach the 50 per cent target by 2020, it could be penalised by central government as a result of EU fines.

The report says: “Despite uncertainty regarding the future expectation on local authorities to meet recycling targets after Brexit, the council still needs to ensure it can demonstrate it is committed to maximising recycling.

“This is through the Joint Waste and Recycling Strategy for Merseyside.

“The risk still exists that EU fines for the UK government will be passed down to Local Authorities through the Localism Act of 2011, if the UK’s 2020, 50 per cent target is not met.

“The UK rate is at 44 per cent so the UK will miss the target.”

The three-weekly brown bin collections pilot is part of a wider shake-up of the council’s waste service.

The report says the review ensures the service is “fully resourced into the future” and delivers “improved customer service and value for money”.

From 2012 to 2017 the number of properties covered by the waste service in St Helens has increased by 2,310 to 82,320, according to the report.

“The modernisation of the service, together with investment in new collection vehicles, re-routing of collection rounds and use of in-cab technology, will cater for this growth,” the report says.

The council plans to modernise collections with new in-cab technology to improve customer service. Cabinet will be asked to approve the use of £150,000 from the Transformation Reserve to fund this.

Workforce modernisation changes are also proposed, following consultation with trade unions and staff.

The council will also review the service's current recycling containers as part of the trial.

Three-weekly brown bin collections are in operation in other boroughs in the North West, including Wigan, Oldham and Rochdale.