Councils rubbish 'bin tax' plans

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The pilot would have seen up to five councils run financial incentive schemes which reward householders who recycle most and charge extra to those who leave the most rubbish out.

Local authorities had been asked to apply to take part in the scheme, which would have begun in April, but Defra said that no council had responded by the deadline.

Environment Minister Jane Kennedy said: "The powers in the Climate Change Act enabling up to five voluntary pilot schemes were introduced at the request of local authorities and it is up to them whether they want to use them.

"No local authorities have expressed an interest in piloting a scheme at this time.

"It is absolutely right and laudable that local authorities are working hard to reduce the amount of waste thrown away and increase the amount recycled, and we have seen great progress over the last few years."

The announcement follows a survey by the Press Association which revealed that not one of more than 100 councils in England questioned was planning to apply for the scheme - with many expressing concerns that it could damage efforts to get people to recycle.

The plans to give councils the power to levy charges on households that create the most waste were announced while Tony Blair was prime minister in 2007.

After Gordon Brown took over, the scheme was downgraded to being piloted by five local authorities, with the prospect of an England-wide roll-out set back until 2012/13.

But the financial incentives scheme has proved controversial, with some councils and the Conservative Party labelling them "bin taxes", and fears being raised of an increase in fly-tipping and public protests.