About 500 Dorset homes could see their doorstep bin collections coming to an end.

Most likely to be affected are those in rural areas which have long private drives where refuse collectors have traditionally driven to the house to collect recycling and waste.

Dorset Council has decided to cut back on the properties where it offers the service in an attempt to reduce collection times and costs.

Those likely to be affected by the proposed changes will be contacted by Dorset Council to discuss the new arrangements, including identifying new collection points.

It is already council policy that householders have to put their bins out on the kerbside at the boundary of their property adjacent to a public road – although 'custom and practice' in some areas has over the years seen a more lenient interpretation of the rule.

Said a report: "This currently means that we have situations whereby the crews are travelling down long driveways to collect from one property because 'they have always done so' which is both operationally and economically inefficient.

"It causes unnecessary wear and tear to the vehicles and takes a disproportionate amount of time and resources to collect."

The council's Place Overview and Scrutiny Board was told of the decision this week and backed the changes, which will now go to the Cabinet for a final decision.

Portfolio holder for the service, Cllr Laura Miller, said the changes would be more economical and help front line staff to do their work in a more efficient way at a time when the council was financially stretched.

Highways and environment brief holder Cllr Ray Bryan also welcomed the decision, although he said he might have a hard task to explain to residents in the St Leonard's and St Ives areas, which he represents, why the change was needed.

"I suspect of the 500 homes affected, 499 of them are probably in my ward," he said.

The meeting also heard that moves were also underway to ensure the developers of any new properties in the county provide suitable hard-standing areas for bins and if they did not would be unlikely to get planning consent.