Council to charge for green bin collections

New charges will see residents wishing to keep their bins
and continue with fortnightly
collections needing to find £17 a year – with a second bin costing £12.

Council leader Coun John Blackie said: “The decision to charge for the collection of green waste was taken with the knowledge at the time that Richmondshire District Council had to find over £1m of additional savings having already saved a similar amount in the previous three years.

“This is a significant reduction in our budget. The decision was not taken lightly by the council’s strategy board – all members of the board regretted the decision but the austerity measures being imposed by Government meant that we had to look at all saving and efficiency options, however unpalatable they may be. The charging options and other elements of the service were looked at in great detail before making a final decision.

“The income generated from the green waste charge will go towards the cost of the service, with an anticipated saving of around £190,000 per year. Even after making this and other savings the council still has to save a further £300,000 by 2015/16 – this puts the overall saving challenge that the council faces into context. The charge is designed to contribute towards the cost of the service and not to make a ‘profit’.”  

Deputy leader, Coun Mick Griffiths. added: “The council is committed to making our books balance whilst doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our residents. Implementing a modest charge for green waste collection is one of these tough decisions.”