There are no plans to abandon wheelie bins and go back to old bin collections in Merton a council meeting will hear.

It comes in response to a petition calling for the return of the previous bin collections, which were a weekly rubbish collection and saw households using box bins instead of the new wheelie bins.

The petition, which has gathered more than 1,000 signatures, was started by Wimbledon Conservatives and presented to the council by Councillor Daniel Holden at September’s full council meeting.

A written response from a Merton Council officer states that the change in collections was the result of a decision to appoint Veolia as the council’s street cleaning and waste collection contractor.

The response reads: “As part of this decision it was agreed that we would introduce a wheelie bin service in October 2018.

“Households will continue to receive weekly collections, with two collections (food and recycling) one-a-week and three collections (food, recycling and general waste) on alternate weeks.

“Each household will be provided with, one wheelie bin for non-recyclable household waste along with a wheelie bin for paper and card. They will continue to use their existing recycling box for plastics, glass and cans.”

But the officer adds that some households in the borough will not use wheelie bins including blocks of flats and flats above shops where there is no space for them.

Some houses with gardens which are too small are also exempt from the bins.

The response appears as part of the agenda for Merton’s full council meeting due to take place on Wednesday, November 21.

It will take place at Merton Civic Centre from 7.15pm