A PETITION calling on East Lothian Council to return household bin collections to once every two weeks was considered "too political" to be discussed in the run-up to the General Election.

Thousands of people have signed the petition, which was launched as the council prepared to introduce a reduced once-every-three-weeks collection across the county which is now in place, and it was due to be discussed at its petitions committee last week.

However, it has been revealed that the meeting was cancelled and the item rescheduled to be considered in September after officials ruled it was likely to break strict purdah guidelines.

Purdah is the pre-election period after an election has been called when local authorities and other public bodies are required to remain neutral.

A council spokesperson said that the change to bin collections had been a decision taken by the council’s Labour administration and it was felt that councillors would have been unable to "fully engage" in the debate without making political comments.

The originator of the petition shared an email which she said she received from the council over the decision, which said: “This budget choice being debated would risk political comments being made as part of the discussion which, during the pre-election period, East Lothian Council is not allowed to facilitate.”

The petition calling for the return to fortnightly collections has received more than 2,700 signatures and a Facebook page set up for residents against the change has more than 1,600 members.

READ MORE: Thousands sign petition against council bin uplift changes

The social media page has been swamped with stories from locals who are struggling to cope with the longer wait for household waste to be collected.

Many say they are now having to make regular trips to the local dumps, while others claim neighbours are putting bags in other people’s bins, creating tension on streets.

Some have also resorted to paying private firms to empty their bins as they say they cannot wait for the council’s once-every-three-weeks collections.

East Lothian residents have six different waste receptacles made up of a green household bin, brown garden waste bin, blue box for paper and card, green/black box for glass, grey food waste caddy and white weighted bag for plastic, tins and cartons.

Following this year’s budget decision, it was agreed to introduce a new annual fee for collection of garden waste – which had been taken away free of charge once a month and is now collected fortnightly for a charge of £35 a year – and reduce the fortnightly free household waste collection to once every three weeks.

READ MORE: Chance to register for garden waste collection offered again

Recycling bags and boxes are collected weekly, along with food waste.

East Lothian Council said that the petition over the changed household waste collection was now due to be heard at the petitions committee in September.

A council spokesperson said: “There is clear guidance that councils and other bodies must follow by law in the pre-election period.

“We are required to balance our responsibilities to proceed with council business against the requirement to remain politically neutral, preventing any type of communication or activity that could affect, or be seen to affect, public support for a political party.

“The petition relates to a result of the administration’s budget decisions. Petition committee members may not be able to fully engage in debate due to the restrictions around statements which are, or could be considered, in breach of the requirement for neutrality during the pre-election period.

“Therefore the decision was made to delay this committee meeting until post-election period so members, and petitioners, can express themselves without such restrictions.”