Fees for South Gloucestershire residents would increase to £75
Stock image: recycling bin
Garden waste collection charges for South Gloucestershire residents are set to rocket by 19 per cent from April. The council is proposing a hike from £63 to £75 “to continue to cover the costs of providing the service”.
It comes despite fees doubling from £30 to £60 in 2024 which came with a pledge from South Gloucestershire Council leaders at the time that future increases would go up only by the rate of inflation, which currently stands at less than four per cent.
In its public consultation seeking people’s views on a range of cuts and ways to increase income in its 2026/27 budget, the authority said: “Wherever possible, our focus is that those who are in a more fortunate position and can best afford it should be making the largest contribution.
“However, we are limited by what we can do locally, and we await an update from Central Government on the financial settlement for the year ahead, which will clarify our financial position. Historically, charges for services like green waste collections have been much lower in South Gloucestershire than in other parts of the country – and far below the costs of delivering them.
“However, with more constrained council finances, it feels unfair to continue to subsidise services like these which the council is not required to provide, where there are alternative companies in the private sector providing a service.
“We have therefore changed our approach to set fees at a fair level, which helps cover our costs, so we can prioritise funding towards essential support like social care for the vulnerable. We are proposing to increase the annual fee for our green waste collections from £63 to £75.”
The consultation is here.
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