STUDLEY and Alcester residents busy filling their green recycling bins as winter dawns may be faced with having to pay for the service in the future.
On Monday, October 7, Stratford District Council’s Cabinet will consider a proposal to begin a consultation on introducing a chargeable garden waste service to replace the current free one.
The charge being mooted is 80p a week, or £41.60p a year.
The service is particularly valuable to Studley residents who are denied access to the Redditch tip and would face a 24 mile round trip to Stratford’s Burton Farm tip instead.
“The District Council is facing significant financial and environmental pressures,” said Councillor Tony Jefferson, Leader of Stratford District Council.
“As the government grant, which made up a large part of the council’s income, has been phased out, service provision needs to reflect the reduced funding available or fund existing services from other income sources.
“Many residents find the garden waste collection service very convenient, so by introducing a charge of perhaps around 80p a week, the District Council will be able to continue to provide a cost effective, efficient service for households that want it while minimising the overall cost of the service.
“As a local authority we also need to think about our environmental responsibilities and the impact of collecting garden waste across the district and encourage alternatives, such as home composting. We should also be mindful that not all residents take up this service.
“However before introducing a charge we need to carry out a consultation with residents to establish whether a chargeable garden waste service is viable in the district.”
The consultation aims to find out:
· Whether residents would continue to use the garden waste service if it became chargeable.
· If so, how much would they be prepared to pay for the service.
· If not, how would they dispose of their garden waste.
Options available:
· To approve public and stakeholder consultation based on the proposal.
· To decide not to proceed with the proposal and retain a free of charge garden waste service.
· To decide no longer to provide a garden waste service from August 1, 2022 (the start of the District Council’s new waste collection contract).
