Plans to introduce green recycling bin charge, approved by council - The Redditch Standard

Plans to introduce green recycling bin charge, approved by council

Redditch Editorial 29th Dec, 2019   0

PLANS to introduce a £40 green recycling bin charge have been approved by Stratford District Council.

The measure was pushed through by the authority’s Conservative majority on December 16 in the face of fierce opposition from the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Neil Edden (Lib Dem, Studley & Sambourne) said: “This is premature. The government is considering a national scheme for green waste and whether this should be funded centrally.

“Why ask residents to pay for this now, when the government could force the council to introduce a very different scheme which they might pay for?”




The Lib Dems also hit out as the suggestion the district needed the money, pointing out that Stratford was far from destitute, while for some residents £40 might be too much to pay.

Peter Hencher Serafin (Lib Dem, Studley & Mappleborough Green) said: “No net environmental benefits have been demonstrated for the new charges and the whole scheme is unfair: £40 may mean nothing to some people but to others, especially pensioners and young families, it could be a major burden, yet no concessions have been proposed.


“The district council’s share of the council tax is £139.12 for a Band D property. That means that an extra *40 charge for a green bin effectively represents an increase of 29 per cent – for absolutely no extra services at all.”

He added that at the same time the charges were being introduced the authority has put up councillors’ allowances, with the Leader and executive, receiving a 27 per cent increase in their special responsibility allowances.

The green bin scheme will work on an ‘opt in’ basis for residents of Stratford District.

It will cost £40 a year with an ‘early bird’ charge of £35 for those subscribing before May 1, 2020. Subscriptions open from April 1, 2020.

It will come into operation from June 1, 2020.

To register, visit: https://www.stratford.gov.uk/waste-recycling/garden-waste-service.cfm

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