The council is refusing to rule out the possibility of rubbish collections being reduced to once a fortnight, despite calls for guarantees that weekly collection will remain until 2010.

The Conservative opposition is calling for a promise that a weekly collection of all household refuse will remain for the next four years, but the borough's environment chief said it would be "ridiculous" to reject the idea of a fortnightly collection before a review of the waste and recycling service is finished.

Cllr Nick True, the leader of the Conservatives on Richmond upon Thames Council, said he will put forward a motion at the next meeting of the council on September 12 stating: "The council guarantees to maintain the weekly collection of all household refuse at least until 2010".

This follows a question at the last council meeting in July where they were asked to give the same assurance.

"He refused to give that guarantee then," said Cllr True. "Local people deserve to know the council's intentions.

"During the very hot spell in July in particular there was considerable local anger at the council's apparent intention to change to fortnightly collection. In such weather it would be a maggots' charter and a licence to breed vermin.

"The Liberals have form, they cut refuse collection in 2001 and they are planning it again. This is an opportunity for them to be honest about their intentions."

Cllr True added that the vote on the motion will be recorded and they will inform residents whether their councillor was in favour of the change.

Cllr Elengorn said: "Cllr True does not seem to grasp that the council is in the middle of a wide-ranging consultation exercise as part of its review of the waste and recycling service.

"It would be ridiculous to rule out some of the options before we have received and considered all the information.

"It is a fact that some of the highest-achieving local authorities in terms of recycling rates operate a weekly recycling service and a fortnight collection of residual waste so it would be irresponsible not to present this option to residents."

Cllr True said that they had received support for their campaign to keep weekly refuse collections, with many signatures on a petition.

But Cllr Elengorn questioned the weight of the petition and said it does not mention that all the options being consulted on envisage adding kerbside weekly collections of cardboard and plastic bottles to the glass, paper, cans, textiles, food waste and green waste at present collected.

He said a structured survey would be distributed to residents next month through the council's Arcadia magazine and people can complete it on the council's website.

"At this early stage similar levels of support are being shown for fortnightly and for weekly collection of residual waste and I can only emphasise that no decision will be made until well into the autumn," added Cllr Elengorn.

"And Tory scare stories about maggots and vermin in hot weather are absurd as the weekly collection of food waste would continue."