Major bin row in Greater Manchester town as thousands object to £45 charge
Plans to charge up to 80,000 households £45 a year for bin collections of garden waste have come under attack. Labour controlled Bolton council say the charge would only apply to households that ‘opt in’ to have their ‘green bin’ garden waste collected.
The one third of Bolton households that do not have a garden, and instead put their food waste in a 23-litre caddy, would not be affected. The proposed annual fee of £45 would cover 25 collections through the year, the equivalent of £1.80 per collection.
The scheme would only apply to garden waste, meaning that green bins could still be used for food waste. Collections of food waste in green bins and caddies would continue as normal without charge, and collection days would also remain the same.
It is understood that the proposal has received thousands of representations since a public consultation went live earlier this week, with the vast majority of responses opposed to the introduction of charges. Bolton’s Conservative group has branded the plans a ‘garden tax’.
Shadow cabinet member for climate change and environment, Coun Nadim Muslim, said: “These proposals were rejected by the Conservatives when we were in control of Bolton council between 2019 and 2023. “We didn’t think it was fair or reasonable for council taxpayers to pay any more for having a basic service.
“This garden tax is a punishment for people who have aspired and got a garden of their own. For residents in social housing, who often have gardens provided, they will also pay the new tax too.
“It’s another tax on the poor and vulnerable.” Coun David Grant, leader of Horwich & Blackrod First Independents, who have six councillors, said: “Residents are already struggling to pay the high council tax, and this would increase costs to many households, particularly the elderly.
“There would be an increase in fly tipping of garden waste by unregistered disposal firms and individuals as well as an increase in residents burning waste, increasing air pollution, and damaging the environment.”
Unlike other types of waste, the council does not have a statutory responsibility to provide free collection of garden waste. More than two-thirds of the councils in England have already started charging for the service.
Bolton council said their waste and recycling service is targeting savings of £1m and the proposal would be enough to achieve this. Households that opt into the scheme would be provided with stickers for their green bins so that the waste collection teams know to empty them.
Green bins without a sticker could only be used for food waste. A system in the waste collection vehicles would also tell the recycling team which households are signed up.
Residents who opt not to join the scheme would be encouraged to either compost their garden waste at home or take it to one of the household waste and recycling centres, where it would be sent for composting. Bolton Council’s executive member for climate change and the environment, Coun Richard Silvester, said: “We don’t make any proposals around bin collections and charging for services without extremely careful consideration.
“Currently, over 80,000 households have free collections of garden waste and anyone who pays council tax helps to fund these collections, regardless of whether they have a garden or not. “This proposal would mean that those who choose to use the service would contribute directly towards the cost of providing it.
“At a time when council budgets are under severe strain, we must find ways to protect vital services, and therefore we need to consider every option. “I would urge everyone to take part in the consultation, whether they have a garden or not, and have their say.”
The consultation is available on the Bolton Council website until Monday, November 4.