North Northamptonshire Council to raise garden waste collection subscription fees

North Northants Council has announced an increase in the charges for the removal of residents’ garden waste, in an effort to make much-needed savings in the 2024/25 financial year budget.

The subscription-based service launched in April last year and saw households across the county sign up for optional kerbside green waste collection. This came after a consultation which saw almost 80 per cent of those who responded saying they didn’t want new charges to be introduced.

The fees are now proposed to increase to £45.60 per household bin, rising from the original £40 annual subscription charge. According to the council, this will see each customer paying an extra 11p per week for the service.

Residents who pay the fee will receive a sticker for their green bins, making them eligible for at-home collection from the council every two weeks. Those who don’t wish to sign up will be responsible for disposing of their own garden waste at local recycling centres.

The council has warned of rising pressures in its budget and has highlighted the service as a way to claw back savings. Since launching the subscription service, NNC has subsidised the project as the actual cost of operation is more than the income from the payments.

It said that during the last year the staffing and operational costs for vehicles involved in the waste collection service have increased. The council says that, even with the higher charges, the cost of running the service will not be completely offset and the money will be used to reduce the reliance on reserves to provide essential services.

Estimated savings of £386,000 will be made through the increased subscription rate, with a further £534,000 of projected savings made through the harmonisation of collection services.

Cllr Matt Binley (Con), executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “When we originally looked at this the vast majority of local authorities up and down the country were actually already charging for garden waste collections.

“Albeit it’s something we are still subsidising, it is a service that is going quite well. We have seen a far greater uptake in our collection service than was originally forecasted - probably because of the rate that we are charging and the fact that we are still not going to full cost recovery.”

The increased fees were part of the draft budget proposals for the 2024/25 financial year and are part of a series of other savings measures including a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax and the review of high-cost placements in adults and children’s services.

The executive recommended the budget proposals, including the increase in garden waste fees, to full council for approval on February 22.