WINCHESTER civic chiefs are dropping the district-wide distribution of waste collection calendars.

The calendar, that tells which of household’s two bins should be left out, will be available online.

The city council says the paper calendar will still be available to anyone who has no internet access.

But city councillor Margot Power told the Alresford Town Council: “It is lunacy to have to phone up and ask for a timetable.”

She predicted the council would drop the idea.

Every Winchester district resident will shortly receive a brief summary showing the collection day changes for 2013/14.

Councillor Jan Warwick, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods & Environment, said: “We are trialling this system for next year to gauge reaction as we think it will be simpler advice for many residents whilst also offering the convenience of having 24-hour access to a calendar online.  However, we will make sure that anyone preferring the traditional printed calendar will receive one in the post.”

A city council spokeswoman said yesterday: “The existing arrangements are complicated and involve the distribution of 24 different collection calendars across both districts (Winchester and east Hampshire). This can be a logistical challenge and last year the wrong calendar was delivered in some areas with some households missed altogether.

“As such it was an opportune moment to consider changing the way the calendars are distributed in line with the ongoing trend by many households to obtain information online. It is not about costs savings as there still is a distribution to each household, but more a way to try and avoid errors that have occurred in the past.”