Garden waste charge to be introduced next month

Compostable items such as grass clippings, leaves, twigs and food waste can be put in the brown-lid bins

Residents in Coventry need to pay £40 a year from next month if they want their garden waste to continue to be collected.

The charge, to be introduced from 3 June, means people must sign up for a permit sticker to go on their brown-lid bin.

The change is part of a raft of cuts signed off by the council in February to save £8.4m over the next financial year.

The council said the changes to its collections were a "tough decision", made necessary by financial pressures.

What is changing?

Garden waste bins will continue to be emptied once a fortnight, but only if they have a permit sticker clearly displayed.

The stickers must be placed on the back of the bin, under the handles, the authority said.

The annual charge covers 1 June to 31 May yearly and applies to each 240-litre bin, with a limit of 10 bins per household.

The city council's garden waste permit scheme will come into effect the week starting 3 June. Permits need to be affixed to the back of brown-lid bins.

Why is it happening?

The council said it was under financial pressures due to "rising inflation, increasing demand and severe underfunding".

The bin charges are one of 30 changes the authority is introducing to try to balance its budget over the next financial year.

The changes include switching off overnight street lighting and increasing parking charges in the city.

Do I need to pay?

Anyone wanting their garden waste to continue to be collected would need to pay the annual charge, the council said, adding it would not collect from bins without a permit sticker displayed.

It said residents without a permit could continue to take garden waste to local household recycling centres, or consider composting at home.

Food waste could also go in green-lid household bins, the council added.

How do I pay?

Residents can pay online, over the phone or in person at the council's customer service centre in the Upper Precinct.

The authority said it would deliver permits to customers within 10 working days of payment but there was no discount for customers who signed up partway through the year.

Collections under the new scheme will start the week beginning 3 June.