PEOPLE living in a rural part of Herefordshire could see their council tax hiked just so their bins can be emptied.

For more than nine months, Vowchurch Group Parish Council has been in talks with Herefordshire Council over bins in the Golden Valley village being emptied.

Herefordshire Council wants the parish council to pay up to £8,000 for a turning area so its lorry can empty bins – but this has been refused as council tax precept would have to go up by 50 per cent.

Back in January, minutes show the parish council had received complaints from local residents on Vowchurch Common regarding Herefordshire Council's proposed changes to bin collections.

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Currently, the bin lorry turns at the bottom of the road on private land, but this was no longer acceptable.

Residents do not want to take their bins, or suggested bags, to a central collection point.

The contractors, FCC Environment, said they would carry out a risk assessment, but the county council wanted to trial the new system.

Parish councillors queried why the lorry could not reverse down the road or why a turning point could not be put in along the stretch of road.

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Ward councillor Peter Jinman said that there are other areas in the county that do have to take their refuse to a central collection point.

The council was said to be "not happy" with the idea, minutes showed, adding it was not acceptable for larger lorries to continually damage the smaller roads in the area, especially as it was the county council’s decision to remove the smaller wagon."

By June, residents had started to leave their rubbish at Piccadilly Farm, with the bin lorry turning there on private land – with the owner consenting.

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But minutes show the county council's waste and recycling officer said the only way to progress with a "turning head" for lorries was if the parish council looked at funding it – leaving councillors concerned over the cost.

For this, Balfour Beatty Living Places would charge £8,000, but a quote for a slightly smaller area from Golden Valley Construction came in at £3,970 plus VAT.

But to fund that, the parish council's precept would need to go up by 50 per cent and the parish council would be "setting a precedent for any future funding requests".

By the beginning of October, the parish council decided it would not be funding the work so work must now take place to find an "alternative location which had been previously discussed".