A councillor is demanding immediate action to deal with the amount of garden waste that has been left lying around Castle Point.

Dave Blackwell, who represents the Independent Party in the Canvey Island Central ward, claimed the council’s “draconian” recycling regulations make the borough look like a rubbish tip.

To recycle garden waste, residents need to purchase corn starch bags from Canvey Island Library in the High Street which cost £5 per roll.

Mr Blackwell said: “Councils won’t accept any garden waste put inside any other biodegradable bags so waste collection just leaves them there.

“I don’t understand, it takes less than two minutes for the waste collector to pick up the bags and throw them in the truck.

“With all the rubbish lying around it makes the borough look untidy.

“We are really falling behind on our waste targets because of the regulations.”

The current green waste collection scheme was introduced to the borough in April 2017. The council no longer offers waste sacks free of charge to residents. Mr Blackwell added the old regulations were much easier because residents only needed to bind up the waste and put it outside for collection. He said: “The whole thing is nonsense because we should be encouraging people to recycle but these draconian rules are making it hard.”

He believed it is difficult for elderly residents, particularly those on a limited budget, to travel to the library to buy the waste sacks.

Mr Blackwell has been travelling around the borough consulting with residents to get their opinion on the green waste management rules.

He added: “I want the council to change the rules to make it easier for residents. Even when residents do what the council wants they still leave them behind and sometimes for over a month and it makes the whole area look run down. It’s just because residents are not using the council approved bag.

“Why create rocket science where there’s a simple process?”

He encourages residents to contact him about any concerns they have on green waste management. Mr Blackwell will take up this issue to the council’s Scrutiny Committee in the hope waste management policy can be simplified.

Trudie Bragg, head of environment at Castle Point Council, refuted Mr Blackwell’s claims. She said: “We’ve looked around the borough and it isn’t what councillor Blackwell is saying. The council has offered a range of options for residents to put out their green waste. They can hire a wheeled bin or use home composting. The corn starch bags are much thicker so rubbish won’t fall out that easily.”