Green bin charge plan sparks 'garden tax' row

Bolton Council is consulting on an annual charge for garden waste collections

Plans to charge residents £45 a year to collect green bins in a town have been branded a "garden tax" by opposition councillors who fear it could lead to more fly-tipping

Labour-led Bolton Council has proposed the fee which would only apply to households who "opt in" to have their garden waste collected.

Councillor Richard Silvester said 80,000 homes currently had the bins collected for free, and the move would save £1m while budgets are under "severe strain".

But Conservative councillor Nadim Muslim said the charge was a "punishment" for those who "have aspired and got a garden of their own".

The scheme would only apply to garden waste, meaning green bins would still be used for food waste without charge.

About 25 collections would be covered under the £45 charge, the equivalent of £1.80 per pick up.

'Tax on vulnerable'

Mr Muslim said the plan had been rejected by the Conservatives when they were in control of Bolton Council between 2019 and 2023.

“We didn’t think it was fair or reasonable for council taxpayers to pay any more for having a basic service," he said.

"For residents in social housing, who often have gardens provided, they will also pay the new tax too.

“It’s another tax on the poor and vulnerable.”

Councillor David Grant, leader of Horwich & Blackrod First Independents said residents were "already struggling to pay the high council tax".

He said the charge would lead to "an increase in fly-tipping" or people burning waste.

More than two-thirds of councils in England have already started charging for the garden bin service, including in Liverpool.

Mr Silvester, said the proposal had been put together with "extremely careful consideration" and would mean those using the service would contribute to the cost of providing it.

"Currently, over 80,000 households have free collections of garden waste and anyone who pays council tax helps to fund these collections, regardless of whether they have a garden or not," he added.

A consultation on the scheme is available on the Bolton Council website until 4 November.