Huntingdonshire green bin charge plans opposed by thousands

The subscription fee could be introduced in April 2024

More than 3,000 people have signed a petition against proposals to start charging for garden waste collection.

Huntingdonshire District Council wants to start charging £57.50 per year for green bin collections in the parts of Cambridgeshire it covers.

The subscription, due to begin in April next year, would help to balance the budget and protect frontline services, the council said.

The plans will be discussed by councillors later.

If households have more than one green bin, they will charge an additional £30 per bin.

Martin Hassall, executive councillor for corporate and shared services at the council, said: "We will likely be facing a £1.4m deficit if the garden waste subscription service does not go ahead.

"A lot of analysis has been done over the last year and charging garden waste is the only practical decision that closes the gap and protects statutory services."

The subscription proposal is set to be debated at a meeting later.