Flintshire garden waste charge go-ahead despite objections

Getty Images Brown bin and garden wasteGetty Images

Plans to start charging residents for collecting garden waste will still go ahead despite councillors' objections.

In December, Flintshire council's cabinet approved the £30 per year charge, set to be introduced in April 2018.

But a group of councillors had tried to get it stopped, claiming it did not consider elderly and vulnerable people.

A council committee said the charges would still go ahead.

Once introduced, it will cost homeowners £30 per year to have their brown bin waste collected once a fortnight between March and November.

Flintshire council said in December the £1m raised in revenue would help fund recycling services, as it did in other councils, some of which charged up to £40 for the service.

It also said the charge would help it hit Welsh Government recycling targets.

A group of councillors had called in the decision to introduce the charge saying:

  • the proposals did not align with the Welsh Government blueprint for waste collection
  • Flintshire cabinet had considered its approval using unapproved and incorrect minutes
  • the proposals did not consider the elderly and vulnerable
  • charges were unreasonable, contrary to the Environment Act 1990, and in comparison to other councils
  • the detailed cost of the garden waste collection service was unknown and was not included in the scrutiny or cabinet response

But the council's environment overview and scrutiny committee said the charges would stand.