Slow uptake for paid-for garden waste service

From January, Cheshire East Council is introducing a £56 annual fee for collecting garden waste

Fewer than a quarter of households in Cheshire East have signed up for the council's paid-for garden waste collection service starting in January.

It will cost £56 per garden bin, per year, with a 25% reduction in the fee for people on qualifying benefits.

The local authority said 150,000 households in the borough were eligible for garden waste collection and more than 33,000 had signed up.

Introducing a charge for collecting garden waste came as the council said it faced an "extremely challenging financial environment".

Residents could sign up to the annual scheme at any point in the year, but would still pay the same fee, it warned.

However, people who did not want to pay for the collection service would still be able to dispose of their garden waste for free at a council recycling centre.

The local authority urged residents wanting it to continue emptying their garden bin in 2024 to sign up to the paid-for scheme by the end of December to allow for time for their subscription sticker to be posted.

Garden waste collections would be paused from 18 December until 15 January for Christmas and New Year, it added.

'Difficult decisions'

The charge has been unpopular, especially as the cost is higher than neighbouring authorities.

Cheshire West and Chester Council, for example, charge £40 a year for green waste collection.

It was one of a number of number of cost-saving measures agreed in the council’s budget earlier this year, along with cuts to library opening hours and a review of parking fees.

Cheshire East Council says it is facing a shortfall of £18.7m this year – even with all these measures already budgeted for – and says it may need to make more “difficult decisions”.