Garden bins take-up is just one in four

Less than one in four households in South Ribble could have their garden waste collected when the council brings in a £30 charge in April, it has been revealed.
Brown bin for garden wasteBrown bin for garden waste
Brown bin for garden waste

So far only around 9,000 residents have signed up for the controversial new brown bin service - the deadline is next week - leaving an estimated 29,000 homes likely to opt out.

South Ribble has decided to follow other councils like Preston, Wyre and Lancaster who have all started charging for garden waste collections to make up for a budget shortfall.

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Householders pay £30 a year to have their brown bins emptied on a fortnightly basis. Special stickers will be displayed on bins telling refuse crews which ones qualify.

Coun Claire Hamilton described the new system as: “A step in the wrong direction.” She said: “I don’t think the practicalities have been thought through. We should be encouraging recycling. This is an unpopular move by the council.”

The council says it has been “left with no choice” after LCC withdrew £1m in funding.

In Preston, where it also costs £30 to have garden waste collected, almost half of houses - 47 per cent - take part.