Last year (February 2015) the council produced a spreadsheet listing its medium-term savings schedule, which included a suggestion to “introduce charges for the discretionary green waste collection service.”
If the plan went forward, households would be charged £35 for every season the green waste collection runs and this would provide Luton with £200,000 funding per year.
However, a spokesman for the council said: “This has been no more than a broad idea and has not been worked up into a proposal.” The idea has now been dropped as councillors look to other ways of reducing costs.
Criticism
Despite the fact that the garden waste charge was only proposed in its medium-term savings, the council received heavy criticism from residents and Luton Liberal Democrats, with some saying it would cause residents to dump garden waste in their black residual waste bins.
Now, the borough council is reviewing its recycling and waste management strategy, partly to find ways to cut costs and also because of criticism of the amount rubbish left on the streets.
Councillor Tom Shaw, housing and environment portfolio holder, Luton borough council, said the authority is looking at various options including taking on and processing the garden waste itself in a bid to save money. “We are currently weighing up the options,” he added.
In addition, a statement from the council said: “The Council’s Waste Review Group is identifying savings and efficiencies focused on education, demand management and, where appropriate, enforcement, including different ways of improving Luton’s recycling rates and the efficiency of kerbside rounds that do not involve a charge to residents for garden waste collection.”
Councils
The issue of green waste charges have been debated widely by local authorities in recent years as a growing number of councils make the move due to increasing financial pressure.
Last year (December 2015) Three Rivers recommended a green waste charge for residents (see letsrecycle.com story) while Halton council said the introduction of the charge had receive a ‘positive’ reaction from local households (see letsrecycle.com story).
In addition, a statement from the council said: “The Council’s Waste Review Group is identifying savings and efficiencies focused on education, demand management and, where appropriate, enforcement, including different ways of improving Luton’s recycling rates and the efficiency of kerbside rounds that do not involve a charge to residents for garden waste collection.”
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