RESIDENTS taking part in Ryedale District Council's recycling scheme have confounded its critics by giving it a big thumbs-up.

The authority's community services and licensing committee was told by Phil Long, the commercial services manager that there had been a near 50pc response to a household survey carried out to evaluate the experimental scheme.

Of those who responded, 74pc said they had never had or had only isolated problems while 89.5pc said they found the new kerbside collection scheme "convenient".

The waste recycling scheme had been criticised by some householders who complained that, during the hot summer, waste had been left on kerbsides for more than a week awaiting collection, causing smell and inconvenience.

Mr Long said 2,907 households had been involved in the new alternate weekly refuse collection and green waste scheme, and the kerbside collection of cans and paper.

The committee agreed that a further 5,000 homes will go on the scheme from next March, funded by DEFRA, and a further 5,000 in June and July with cash from Yorventure's landfill tax credit.

Mr Long said RDC had succeeded in getting £213,000 from DEFRA for the current financial year for the scheme.

"This, coupled with Yorventure money, means that the council's commercial services officers have secured a total of £413,500 to date for RDC to help towards the new waste management service," he said.

The money for this year will be used to fund 5,000 bins and recycling collection boxes, sites for waste plastic, a publicity campaign, and the purchase of a recycling vehicle.

The council has earmarked £150,000 to fund the kerbside collection for the coming financial year, and the leasing of a new recycling vehicle, plus a further 5,000 bins and boxes.

By next July, said Mr Long, all schemes funded by Yorventure and DEFRA will be in place, involving a total of 13,000 homes in Ryedale - 57pc of the total.

The committee approved a timetable for the following Ryedale homes to go onto the recycling scheme:

June/July, 2004: 5,000 properties in Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale and Rillington;

March/April, 2005: 5,000 properties in central Ryedale;

July, 2005: 4,700 properties in the North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire Wolds.

Updated: 10:53 Wednesday, December 03, 2003