Cheshire residents face new £40 annual garden waste charge

The charge was branded a "stealth tax" by Conservative councillors

Residents in parts of Cheshire face a new charge of £40 per year for green bin collections after councillors approved a new waste strategy.

The move by Cheshire West and Chester Council has divided the authority's Labour and Conservative groups.

Conservatives branded the charge a "stealth tax" while Labour defended it, arguing the council was not legally obliged to collect garden waste.

The plan was approved on Tuesday with 36 voting in favour and 33 against.

Changes include replacing existing 55-litre recycling boxes with two larger capacity bins which would be collected fortnightly, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The fortnightly garden waste service will be provided between March and November and the charge will be introduced from March.

Current arrangements for other waste collection will not change.

Councillors gathered for a special in-person meeting at Chester Racecourse pavilion

Members of the Labour group argued garden waste collection was not a statutory service, meaning the council was not legally obliged to provide it.

They said a number of other authorities including some Conservative councils already imposed similar charges.

Councillor Karen Shore said: "Labour has had to make tough decisions to compensate for failing Tory privatisation, these tough decisions include charging for a non-statutory service in order to sustain the overall waste management service."

But Conservatives branded it a "stealth tax" and said residents had already been hit by successive council tax rises.

Concerns were also raised about affordability and increased fly tipping as a result.

Ms Shore said support would be put in place for those who could not afford to pay.

The vote had been due to take place almost two weeks ago at a virtual council meeting but eight Conservative councillors called for an in-person meeting.

This was convened at Chester Racecourse Pavilion on Tuesday night at a cost of £6,000 to provide for adequate social distancing.