Waste charges increase for Mid Devon District Council residents

Councillors voted to increase fees "following cuts in government funding", Mid Devon District Council said

Collection charges for garden and bulky waste will rise for residents as a Devon council looks to save money.

Councillors voted to increase fees "following cuts in government funding", Mid Devon District Council said.

Councillor Colin Slade, cabinet member for the environment and climate change, said: “Set against a backdrop of cuts by the government, our continued recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the rise in costs of materials as a council we have decided to increase our fees, rather than implement significant cuts to our services."

The government said it was "making an additional £5bn available for councils in England".

Mr Slade said: "Increasing our fees is not something we undertake lightly, and for many years we have been able to maintain most of our charges at a static rate, but the council is not immune to the cost of living crisis, and we must make changes to continue to provide our services.”

For garden waste it means the annual fee for a 240 litre bin will rise from £50 a year to £65 and from £40 a year to £55 for a 140 litre bin. The cost per 120 litre sack will also increase from £1.30 to £1.60.

Bulky waste charges have increased from £22 to £25 for one item and from £11 to £14 for each additional item.

Garden waste charges last increased in October 2020 and bulky waste charges in April 2020, the council said.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “We are making an additional £5bn available for councils in England in the next financial year so they can continue to deliver vital services.

“This includes an increase of up to nearly 5% for Mid Devon District Council, which could bring their core spending power to £11m for the next financial year.”