Controversial new wheely bins will be sent to people across the borough from late May, the council has announced.

People across Wokingham borough are preparing for a switch to fortnightly general waste collections from mid-August. The move will mean that most households will no longer use blue general waste bags that they are used to.

Wokingham Borough Council said those households will receive their last ever roll of blue waste bags between Monday, February 12 and March 22. It also said they will receive their new wheeled bins from late May – though they shouldn’t use them until mid-August.

General waste and recycling collections will also take place on alternating weeks from mid August. Food waste will still be collected weekly.

READ MORE: £390,000 put aside for Wokingham bin collection changes

The move prompted strong opposition from Conservative councillors, and a petition against the plans signed by some 2,000 people last year.

But the cash-strapped Liberal Democrat-led council says the change will save money, and that government plans to dictate what waste councils will be required to collect mean the changes will be necessary.

The council also says that some households that aren’t suited to wheely bins will stick with weekly general waste collections from blue bags. These include flats with communal bin stores, homes with no space for bins, and those on narrow lanes.