Plans for a controversial monthly bin collection labelled “a joke” by householders have been halted as part of a climbdown by Conwy County Borough Council.

Councillors voted against introducing a four-weekly black bin collection at a scrutiny committee meeting on Monday after the move was met with a backlash from the public when mooted last week.

Cabinet will discuss further refuse options next month.

Readers took to social media to voice their disapproval with the suggestion that three weeks was already long enough and if it was extended out to four it would encourage fly tipping and bring in more rats.

Gareth Harvey wrote on the Pioneer‘ Facebook: “Bins should definitely be emptied on a regular basis , once a month is disgusting. It's unsanitary and invites rats, seagulls and god knows what else.”

Josef Roberts said: “It's going to breed rats. Whilst I'm all for encouraging recycling, it's unhygienic and practically medieval to leave rubbish out for a month. It will also increase fly-tipping.

Carole Webbern, on the North Wales Pioneer site, said: “We recycle every possible item, but sometimes have to stand in the bin to squash things down. Every month is a complete joke, and they announce this just after the decision to charge council tax payers to take rubbish to the tip.

Wayne Jones said: “We've been on four weekly in Towyn for a nearly a year, it's a joke. It doesn't matter what you recycle you can't get everything in the bin, in the summer the smell is horrendous and the fly tipping has got so bad on the back roads now there are cameras put up to try and catch people.

“You should have a choice to use the council and pay or cut out refuse collection and be able to use a private company.”

A recommendation was put forward at the scrutiny committee which suggested councillors accept the findings of the Improved Recycling Task & Finish Group and introduce a four weekly bin collection.

The recommendation by the Task and Finish group was said to be the most sustainable long term solution to recycle more and waste less.

A four weekly collection trial has been ongoing over the past year, involving 10,900 properties throughout the county which saw recycling increase in these areas by 14 per cent and reduce waste in wheelie bins by 31 per cent.

In addition the financial difference between operating three weekly (17 collections per year) and four weekly (13 collections per year) is £390,000 per year.

Despite these findings councillors still decide to vote against the decision.

Cabinet member for environment, roads and facilities Donald Milne said: “Concerns really have been fairly fastidious this past week that people won’t be able to cope with the situation (four weekly waste collection) which has influenced the council in their decision.

”But I encourage anyone that has such problems to get in touch with environment, roads and facilities because there are so many options and I don’t think people realise.”

Assembly Member for Aberconwy Janet Finch-Saunders applauded the council for their decision after she also showed her distaste for monthly bin collections last week.

Ms Finch-Saunders, yesterday, said: “I am pleased that, following considerable public and political pressure, the Council has seen sense.

“Councillors sitting on this Committee have stood up for their residents, and justified the faith their electorate placed in them at the elections earlier this year.

“Residents being forced to pay more and more each year for their council tax should not have to suffer reduced services – and the proposal for four-weekly collections was frankly absurd.”