Residents in Hart will not face draconian punishments for not recycling properly – that was the pledge from the council’s cabinet member responsible for the environment.

Coun Stephen Parker said the council was not looking to introduce bin bugs – devices that some councils have used to measure the amount of waste residents throw away – or fines, for example, as part of their bid to increase recycling.

The pledge was made in the most recent full council meeting.

Coun Parker said: “Unless forced by statute, I will not be imposing new restrictions on Hart residents. I will certainly not be fining people for putting their bins out on the wrong day, or not taking them back in afterwards.”

Following the meeting, Coun Parker told the Star: “People do get concerned about [bin bugs and fines]. Some people are convinced that this is local government and national government working together to line their own pockets.

“I can’t speak for national government, but I can speak for ourselves. From my point of view, it is no part of my intention to criminalise people for errors in the way they dispose of waste.

“If someone is habitually putting contaminated medical waste in their bin, for example, and they won’t stop, then we might have to do something. But short of that, which is a health hazard, we won’t be punishing people.”

Hart residents recycled 39 per cent of their waste last year, much more than their Rushmoor neighbours, who recycled about 26 per cent of their waste.

Coun Parker said: “Hart residents have shown they can meet HM Government recycling targets without resorting to this kind of bullying.”

But Coun Parker admitted that there were still some improvements to be made to the council’s recycling programme. He said the issue of the council’s green waste collection service needed looking into.

The council is exploring ways of making the service cheaper for pensioners and people on fixed incomes.

Coun Parker said the council is also looking at expanding the programme.

There are currently more than 400 people on a waiting list to join the service, but the council cannot expand it at present.

The problem is the council’s one green waste collection vehicle is full.

Coun Parker blamed last term’s Liberal Democrat and Community Campaign Hart administration for the scheme’s failures. He said: “What we’re looking at is getting over the problem of people having been unable to get on the scheme. The last administration did nothing to make sure that capacity did not outstrip demand.”