CALLS for a return to fortnightly bin collections and a bid for town centre funding will be heard at a Wigan full council meeting at 6pm today, Wednesday.

Independent councillors Paul Maiden and Stuart Gerrard- both elected this year- will be hoping to mark their mark in the chamber with their respective motions.

Cllr Maiden, who represents Hindley Green for the Wigan Independents, has launched a petition for the town hall to relax its three-weekly bin rota for part of the year.

His motion says returning to a two week collection schedule for black bins (non recyclable waste) during the summer, June to August, and for green bins (garden and food waste) between April and August, will "cut down on environmental issues".

He has requested that officers prepare a feasibility report for the cabinet to consider.

“This suggestion has received support on social media,” the motion reads.

“This would be a fair compromise, as it is not a complete two week return.”

The council introduced its three-week rota in 2017 in a bid to improve recycling rates to avoid costly sanctions and landfill charges.

Officers have since said recycling levels across the borough have risen from 43 per cent to 50.

Cllr Gerrard, who represents the Independent Network, is calling on the council to provide more funding to improve Atherton town centre.

“As well as the draft Atherton masterplan, we need to support our town centre and invest in it to make it once again a focal point and community hub for its residents,” his motion reads.

He has requested for the council to agree to move investment and to ‘set aside a fund, so we can halt the decline.’

“(This would) in turn benefit the community, the council itself and employment opportunities for residents,” the motion adds.

The town hall said earlier this year that an economic masterplan for Atherton and Tyldesley was in the process of being drawn up and will be unveiled later in 2018.