Proposals for councils to impose rubbish taxes on householders who do not recycle properly have been shelved after a last-minute intervention from Gordon Brown.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the results of a lengthy consultation on the plans yesterday and Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State, was expected to announce today that the Government was “minded” to approve the new taxes of up to £30 a year.

Mr Brown ordered that the proposals be stopped because he was worried about the impact on families that produced large amounts of rubbish, and the practicality of imposing the taxes. His decision stunned Whitehall and the Environment Department last night. Officials were preparing today’s announcement and learnt at about 6pm that it was not going ahead. “A message came from Downing Street that they should not proceed,” an informed source said.

The Times revealed last month that Chris Leslie, who helped to run Mr Brown’s leadership campaign and is now head of the New Local Government Network, was leading opposition to the new charges. Downing Street said that talks were continuing, but there appeared little doubt last night that the so-called “pay-as-you-throw” taxes were dead in the water.

The results of the consultation, released yesterday, were overwhelmingly in favour of the new tax. Among the 164 respondents – which included waste-management companies, environmental groups and 18 individuals – the support rating for the proposal was 80.5 per cent. The consultation summary says that opinion was divided only among the individuals.

In May the former Environment Secretary David Miliband announced proposals for English local authorities to be allowed to bring in charges, forcing householders who were not recycling to pay more than those who did. It was suggested that “green” homes could get £30 a year back from their council, while nonrecyclers should pay an extra £30.

Eric Pickles, the Conservative local government spokesman, said: “The fact that Gordon Brown appears to have caved in is a vindication of the campaign by Conservatives against Labour’s plans for this hated tax on families. However, as ever with Gordon Brown, the detail will be in the small print. It is extraordinary that only today Defra released a document heaping praise on these bin taxes. At the very least, this is evidence of chaos and confusion at the heart of government.”

Mr Brown indicated yesterday that the Government was also likely to abandon a target to supply 20 per cent of Britain’s energy from renewable sources by 2020. Tony Blair committed Britain this year to an EU-wide target of 20 per cent, but ministers said that this figure was not specific to Britain and suggested that they could achieve 10 to 15 per cent.

Vince Cable, the acting Liberal Democrat leader, accused the Prime Minister of “ratting” on the deal, suggesting that this came because of pressure from the nuclear lobby.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Brown said that Britain remained “absolutely committed” to the EU target but acknowledged that each member state had yet to be given an individual figure. He said: “We are committed to the targets agreed in the EU. The EU will now publish what they believe each country is able to do.”

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