Garden waste collection charge hike plans

Proposals to hike green waste collection charges to £52-a-year are set to go before councillors.

York Council’s Executive is set to consider raising charges from the current £49-a-year on Tuesday, December 2.

Cllr Jenny Kent, environment spokesperson for the council’s Labour administration, said raising the fees would ensure that they could continue to provide the service in a financially-sustainable way.

But Cllr Paula Widdowson, the Liberal Democrat opposition’s environment spokesperson, said the hikes came as residents were already struggling with living costs and it would fuel tip trips.

Proposals to hike fees for the service come after rates for collections increased from £46.50-a-year to £49-a-year as part of the council’s 2025-6 budget.

A subscription scheme for the service, which was previously free, began in August last year.

Around 40,000 eligible households have signed up for collections which take place fortnightly from March to December.

Proposals to hike fees for the service in 2026 have been made to try and cover the costs of running it, according to a council report.

The service currently costs around £2.1 million-a-year to run and brings in around £1.9 million-a-year from existing charges.

The report stated increasing fees would bring in about £120,000 in extra income, compared to the roughly £175,000 gap between existing costs and revenue raised by charges.

Some households including those receiving Council Tax Support are eligible for half-price discounts.

Cllr Kent said the hikes brought charges into line with neighbouring North Yorkshire Council and they remained committed to providing discounts to those who needed them most.

The envirionment spokesperson said: “By aligning our charges with neighbouring authorities and ensuring the service is financially sustainable, we can continue to offer residents a convenient and environmentally-friendly option for kerbside collection of garden waste.

“We are now also able to offer the service to new developments and are collecting expressions of interest from anyone who was previously unable to receive the garden waste service, in order to explore the viability of further expansion.”

Opposition Liberal Democrat Cllr Widdowson said the hikes represented a 12 per cent increase in fees since the scheme was first introduced.

The opposition environment spokesperson said: “Labour are raising the Green Bin Tax again at a time when residents are already struggling with the cost of living.

“When thousands of homes are priced out, it doesn’t make green waste disappear. It means more trips to the tip, more green waste going into black bins, and more fly-tipping of unwanted garden waste.”