Bin services in Bexley could soon change as the council’s waste contract is about to come to an end.

Nearly 10 years after Serco took on the council’s street cleaning, it could be stripped of the £12m-per-year contract following a turbulent summer.

The standard of service dipped earlier this year due to staff shortages, and the council is set to consider other options from next year.

According to a new report: “Serco started the street services contract in November 2009 and during most of the contract period they have provided a good level of service. They have also assisted in delivering £1.837m per year of savings from these services.”

During this summer's heatwave, several residents complained about missed bin collections online.

Robert Brodie, who lives in East Rochester Way, Sidcup, called for Serco to be stripped of its contract after his food caddy collection was missed.

It took two missed collection forms before his bin was collected after being left out in record-breaking temperatures.

At the time, a council spokeswoman told News Shopper that Serco's performance had shown some improvement, but added: "The necessary standards are not yet being met at all times and there have recently been higher levels of late and missed collections."

Councillors will debate changing the contract next week, and are considering bringing the service in-house or setting up a new company.

Other changes to be considered include offering different wheelie bin sizes and changing the frequency of collections in a bid to increase recycling

According to the report, the council could move to a 1-2-3 collection cycle, meaning weekly collections of food waste, fortnightly collections of garden waste, fortnightly or three-weekly collections of recycling and fortnightly or three-weekly collections of residual waste.

It could also introduce additional collections for residents who need to dispose of of nappies or incontinence pads and a longer four-day working week to eliminate the problems caused by bank holidays.

According to the council, the options set to be considered have been designed to increase Bexley’s recycling rates.

Peter Craske, cabinet member for places, said: “Bexley has been the number one borough in London for recycling for 13 years and the changes we made a decade ago helped catapult us to being the first borough to recycle over 50 per cent of all waste collected, a rate we have maintained ever since.

“Not only has that been good for the environment, but it has meant Bexley taxpayers have not had to pay £11m in landfill taxes that otherwise would have been due.”

The council will debate the bin services on Tuesday (October 16).

It has asked for residents’ feedback before a final decision is made in February.