Malvern homeowners hit hardest on garden waste charges - claims firm - The Malvern Observer

Malvern homeowners hit hardest on garden waste charges - claims firm

Malvern Editorial 18th May, 2016 Updated: 20th Oct, 2016   0

MALVERN residents are being hit the hardest by West Midlands garden waste charges – research from a leading manufacturer has revealed.

Mantis have recently published figures which say homeowners living in the Malvern Hills district are subject to the highest garden waste collection charge in the West Midlands and the seventh-highest charge in Great Britain.

According to the research, Malvern Hills District Council charges residents £65 per year to have their brown bin emptied once per fortnight. This is almost 40 per cent higher than the average fee in the county which stands at £46.67 and 57 per cent more expensive than the British average of £41.47.

Mantis research also shows that there has been rapid growth in the adoption of garden waste collection charges in recent years with the firm believing this is because of councils looking for ways to cut budgets.




A spokesman for Mantis said: “Garden waste collection charges have received widespread criticism from householders who believe the service should be covered by their council tax payments. It has also raised concerns that people will send their organic waste to landfill or even resort to fly-tipping in an effort to save money.”

But a Malvern Hills District Council spokesman said the charges are worth true value for money for those who use the service.


“The annual subscription charge covers the costs of operating the service some of which is being reinvested into new vehicles to improve it further,” he said.

“All of the garden waste we collect is composted and turned into new products, so supporting efforts to reduce waste sent to landfill.

“There is no evidence to support the claim the introduction of or charging for garden waste has increased fly-tipping in the district.

“When we launched the service, we did so on the basis those who did not wish to receive it would not be subsidising it through their council tax.

“Residents still have the option of disposing their garden waste at the county council run Household Waste Recycling Centres free.”

For more information visit https://mantis.uk.com/garden-bin-tax-how-does-your-council-compare-2/.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Malvern Observer.

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.

Printing

We can provide all of your printing needs at competitive rates.

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Malvern Observer newspaper.