An annual garden waste collection charge will be introduced next year after councillors approved the scheme. West Lindsey District Council is the last local authority in Lincolnshire to implement a separate charge for the service, which has been funded from council tax revenues.

Following a vote at the Prosperous Communities Committee it was agreed theCouncil would bring in a charge for the service in April 2018 Cllr. Mrs. Sheila Bibb, Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee said:

“Firstly I want to say huge thank you to everyone who took time to complete the consultation, your feedback has helped us to make this difficult decision.

“As many of you are aware, the council has done its best to resist the need to charge for the service for many years by looking at other ways to bring income into the district so we can protect services that residents’ value.

“As our grants from Government continue to be phased out and will stop all together in 2019 – we have to make tough decisions now.

“We also want to be fair and only charge those residents who actually use the service as some residents do not use it. The consultation results supported this as seventy-one per cent of residents who responded considered it fairer to make a small charge for the collection of garden waste than increase council tax for everyone.”

Although general household waste and recycling collections are compulsory services covered by council tax, the council can charge for a garden waste collection service. The new charge will be introduced when fortnightly collections resume in April 2018. Residents do not need to do anything yet. Letters will be sent out to households over the coming weeks explaining why the change is taking place and what they need to do next.

Before the charge is introduced, the council’s Policy and Resources Committee must make a decision on the annual charge for the service and consider whether to approve the £35 recommendion put forward by the Prosperous Communities Committee. This meeting will take place on Thursday, 14 December 2017.

Householders will be able to sign up from January 2018 using a simple online payment system, over the phone or at the council’s offices. It will be an ‘opt-in’ scheme, so only those residents who sign up to use the service will be charged.

Residents who do not choose not continue to use the service can compost green waste at home, see www.lincscc.getcomposting.com for further information.  Garden waste can also be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centres in Gainsborough, Market Rasen or Lincoln. Please visit: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycling for further information.