A backlash against fortnightly rubbish collections appears to have helped dozens of councils change hands in what could prove a setback for the Government’s environmental agenda.

Of the 150 local councils operating alternate weekly collections, more than 30 saw a change of regime. Many of the most dramatic results were in areas where the alternate collections have proved contentious.

Faced with resentment over fortnightly collections, the Liberal Democrats managed to cling on to only three of their 27 seats in Waverley, Surrey. John Savage, a former mayor, said that the move had proved unpopular on the doorsteps. The Liberal Democrats also suffered in Woking, Surrey, a council that they were expected to take. Denzil Coulson, a Liberal Democrat councillor, blamed Tory trickery on the eve of the vote in Woking. “Very late, probably on Wednesday, the Conservatives put out a message saying they were going to return to weekly collections, which is very disingenuous since they introduced them,” he said. “That could have swung it.”

In Bournemouth, where residents recently complained that recyclable rubbish had not been collected for a month, the Liberal Democrats lost 23 seats. The council had earlier been forced to apologise after placing bugging devices in residents’ bins.

In North Lincolnshire the Conservatives were unseated by Labour. The Tories also lost control of Salisbury. In both areas, the end of weekly collections was controversial.

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