KERBSIDE recycling will not be arriving in Malmesbury because the Government has turned down a £72,000 grant bid to extend a scheme launched last year.

Liberal Democrat-led North Wiltshire District Council said Malmesbury would the one of the first towns to be included in an expansion, when it was left out of a fortnightly recycling collection scheme launched in Wootton Bassett, Chippenham, Corsham and Calne, because of its size.

But Malmesbury along with Lyneham, Cricklade and Purton will miss out on kerbside recycling because the district council has failed in its bid to the Department of Food and Rural Affairs.

Lead member for recycling and waste management Sylvia Doubell said: "I am bitterly disappointed the bid has been turned down."

She said the council would be trying to get kerbside recycling to Malmesbury as well as Cricklade, Purton and Lyneham as soon as it could.

DEFRA indicated the reason for failure was because it had other more important priorities elsewhere in the country, said Mrs Doubell.

Another possible reason the bid failed said Mrs Doubell, was that Wiltshire Waste Partnership did not put in a joint bid, which is preferred by DEFRA. The partnership is made up of Wiltshire County Council and North Wiltshire, Salisbury, West Wiltshire and Kennet District Councils.

Although North Wiltshire and Salisbury District Council put in a joint bid, the other two councils, West Wiltshire and Kennet, put in separate applications, which also failed.

Lesley Bennett, a volunteer who helped set up the recycling directory, said: "I am disappointed and sad, I had hoped that Malmesbury would benefit from kerbside recycling.

"There is still the recycling point at Station Yard and the A to Z directory if people do want to recycle."

County councillor portfolio holder for waste, Conservative Toby Sturgis, said: "We are very disappointed, it was something that was promised."

Coun Doubell said the recycling scheme could not be expanded from the district council's budget because it would mean a rise in the council tax.