A BUSINESSMAN is set to create his own waste disposal firm in response to controversial changes to rubbish collections in Bury.

Craig Lavelle has sent out 5,000 flyers to residents in Bury advertising Bury Bins, a firm which he plans to set up in March if enough people register their interest.

Mr Lavelle, a father of four, said he has already received hundreds of responses from residents unhappy at the changes, which saw Bury become the first council in the country to collect non-recyclable waste every three weeks.

If his firm is established, Mr Lavelle plans to offer a bin collection service on a weekly basis, when Bury Council's rubbish trucks are not scheduled to attend.

Mr Lavelle, who has worked in the waste disposal industry for 35 years, plans to charge £8.40 a bin, but residents must be prepared to sign up for a minimum12- month contract.

The 54-year-old, who is managing director of Tyldesley based waste firm Fresh Start Waste Services, said: "Ever since Bury Council decided to ge to three weekly collections, a lot of residents have been very upset.

"We have had several hundred people register their interest, on our website, and if we get enough people then we will go ahead in March.

"I think there is a business to be had there, which will in turn create jobs for local people."

Council bosses have previously lauded the changes as a "fantastic achievement", and said recycling had increased by eight per cent, year on year, as a result.

A council spokesman said: "Mr Lavelle is perfectly within his rights to offer to take away bags of rubbish from households — as opposed to emptying the council's bins — as long as he has the required licence to dispose of it.

“Council taxpayers may like to know that they are paying, on average, £3.55 for each grey bin collection.

"This includes the cost of buying the bins, and a contribution to fixed costs such as our depot, from which we operate other essential services such as street cleansing and winter maintenance.

"The hard facts show that most of our residents are doing their bit and recycling more. In the weeks following the move to three-weekly collections last October, the borough’s recycling rate went up from 47 per cent to 55 per cent — double what it was four years ago when grey bins were collected weekly."