CONTROVERSIAL plans to limit household waste to two black bags per week have been scrapped – just seven weeks after they were announced.

Malvern Hills District Council’s waste management board claims the policy had widespread support but was detracting from the “core message” of improving recycling rates.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s executive committee, head of environmental services Ivor Pumfrey said: “The board came to the view it would be far, far better if the policy limiting black sacks was not implemented next April and that the need for implementing that policy be considered again in a couple of years’ time.

“We need to remember that Malvern Hills is very fortunate to have more than 80 per cent of its residents committed recyclers – well in excess of the national average. Many of them already often place only one black sack a week. We do not want to do anything to detract from the core message – driving up the recycling rate.”

The overall aim is to increase the recycling rate in the district from its current level of 27 per cent to 38.5 per cent by 2014.

The council hopes this will be achieved with the use of the new Envirosort facility in Norton, which will allow a far wider range of materials to be recycled and automatically sorted from one sack.

A high-profile campaign is expected over the next few months to make Malvern Hills residents aware of what additional products can be recycled from April.

The district council’s portfolio holder for environmental control David Watkins was not present at the meeting. Speaking afterwards, he described the decision not to enforce a bag limit as a “change of emphasis”.

He said: “There was concern from a minority of residents that they were not able to achieve two black bags.

“We’re always accused of not listening to our public and this is an occasion where we have had a rethink and we have adjusted our policy.”

Tom Wells, Liberal Democrat councillor and opponent of the bag limit, said he was glad the it had been repealed.

He said: “This is not the first U-turn they have produced in the past 12 months.

“At one point it looked almost certain that they were going to introduce wheelie bins and they changed their minds on that.”

The recommendations made by the executive committee will have to be ratified by full council in November.