Residents start paying for garden waste charges

Residents in parts of Cheshire will now have to pay for their garden waste

Residents in parts of Cheshire are starting to pay for their garden waste and have the highest charges for the service in the north-west of England.

An annual £56 charge has come into force, making it the most expensive compared with neighbouring authorities.

Some residents in the area have raised concerns about the price and are worried about fly-tipping.

The council said it was a “necessity” to introduce the charge.

Janet Bowden from Macclesfield said she felt the new charge was too expensive

Janet Bowden from Macclesfield said she felt the new charge was too expensive.

“I understand that they need the money, but think they could’ve gone about this in a slightly different way,” she said.

She added that she also had concerns about food waste, with those who have chosen not to sign up to the scheme being told to put it in their general black bin.

Colin Grant is worried the cost could increase in the future

Colin Grant, who also lives in Macclesfield, said he did not think it was a good idea.

“The problem is people are just doing to dump it into the black bin or chuck it in the hedge,” he said.

Mr Grant said he would pay the charge as he was unable to travel to the landfill site to remove it himself, but was worried the cost could increase in the future.

“Is it going to go up with inflation? It could be £100 soon,” he said.

Marie Brett said she was comfortable with the new charges

Meanwhile, Marie Brett from Congleton said she was “comfortable” with the new charge, after moving to Cheshire from part of the North East where the cost was higher.

“We had garden charges for about five or six years and they’re actually more expensive than they were in Cheshire so I'm kind of OK with it, but I understand why with all the budget pressures other people are kind of struggling with the idea,” she said.

The council said around 57,000 households had signed up to the scheme, about a third of households in the area.

It said it hoped the charge would bring in £4m.

Councillor Mick Warren, who leads the council’s environment and communities committee, said: “We don’t want to charge people for this, it’s a necessity.

"It’s a non-statutory service. It's something that is very popular with residents,” he said.

“It’s not just the collection of green waste, the whole service is under financial pressure.”

Mr Warren added he expected numbers to increase to around 90,000 by the spring and summer months.

Some residents in the area have raised concerns about the price and worries over fly-tipping

Garden waste collection fees are one of a number of cost-cutting measures Cheshire East Council has brought in.

These have also included cuts to library opening hours and a decision to close its headquarters in Sandbach.

Other measures are also being considered including changes to parking costs and a review of leisure services.

Further cost saving measures are also planned for the next financial year.