Hitchin households may have to wait up to 72 hours for their bin to be taken if a collection is missed, according to a series of recycling service options.

North Herts and East Herts councils are negotiating a new waste contract with private companies.

Councillors have seen a series of options for the "service level agreements" which will cover homes and businesses in Hitchin - as well as Letchworth, Hertford, Bishop's Stortford, Buntingford, Royston and Ware areas.

Among the options is a proposal to collect waste paper from homes once every four weeks.

Small fly tips of one cubic metre could stay on roadsides for up to five days – three days longer than the current 48-hour limit in North Herts.

The new provider could remove "approximately 30 per cent of litter bins from predominantly outside the town centres", and take longer to rectify missed bins which are currently collected by 5pm on the day after the due round.

The provider could also negotiate comingled dry recycling collections into the contract, so households will not need to separate their recyclable waste.

"Our procurement timeline is tight," Councillor Amy Allen (Lab) told North Herts Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a meeting on Tuesday, November 7.

The Letchworth Wilbury councillor, who is responsible for recycling at the authority, said: "It is a high-profile service which impacts our residents every week.

"As well as having a huge impact on the council's finances, it also has significant impacts and influences the council's ability to achieve its carbon reduction and sustainability aims."

Cllr Allen added: "Officers worked with members across the political parties and with our partners at East Herts Council to help design services which meet our environmental and sustainability objectives.

"Officers have subsequently taken our specification to the market through a competitive procurement process and are currently in dialogue with bidders."

Cllr Allen said the authority must look at the "scope for specification changes" to dodge "affordability issues for the council".

Authority chiefs explained that not all options could be selected, but they suggested agreeing new parameters could give council teams more cards to play in their negotiations with the private sector.

A meeting report, written by council staff, asked councillors to delegate authority to them.

This would have given council officers powers to agree the waste and recycling service design, "subject to them being the most financially sustainable solution for the council".

Cllr David Levett (Con, Letchworth South East), who sits on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said: "Bearing in mind this is the biggest contract the council holds, this is the most significant contract we have.

"I am mindful of the need to expedite the contract to tight deadlines, however, any changes in the way these contracts are delivered impact on every single household in North Herts.

"It should be decided by their elected representatives, not delegated."

Cross-party councillors on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed any changes to the service design should go to council leaders before they receive the final sign off, a recommendation which will be put to the cabinet at a future meeting.