North Yorkshire Council has announced plans to increase the cost of its garden waste collection service for the next season - whilst keeping the charge below the regional average.
Under the proposals, the annual fee for the opt-in garden waste service will rise from £49 to £52 for the 2025 season, which runs from March to November.
The council says the increase is necessary to maintain the service amid financial pressures, with the additional income expected to generate around £314,560.
The authority says the new charge remains below the regional average of £58.94.
The money raised will be used to support the continuation of the garden waste rounds and help fund frontline council services.
Councillors are also being asked to approve a small rise in the cost of new and replacement rubbish and recycling bins, increasing from £35 to £37.50. The change is expected to save the council about £100,000.
Residents or developers may need to purchase new bins if a property does not currently have one, if it has been lost or stolen, or if a holiday let moves from business rates to council tax.
Bins that are damaged or fail, except in the case of deliberate misuse, will continue to be repaired or replaced free of charge.
North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:
“The increases are needed so that we can continue to provide a valuable service to residents without compromising on standards, while keeping costs down as much as we can.
“We have thought carefully about how much we should increase these charges by. We want to be fair to the customer and, if they are set too high, it could affect demand.
“We believe increasing charges by inflation plus £1.50 for garden waste and £1 for new and replacement bins rounded to the nearest 50p is a fair amount, with the additional income vital in protecting our frontline services.”
The proposals will be considered by Mr Battersby and executive member for managing the environment, Councillor Richard Foster, at a meeting on Friday 24th October.
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