Renfrewshire garden waste permit cost increase to £47 as controversial hike voted through
The cost of a garden waste permit in Renfrewshire will increase from £40 to £47 in the next financial year after a controversial hike was voted through.
The annual fee will rise further to £52 in 2026/27 and £57 in 2027/28 – a move which sparked criticism from some elected members this week.
Councillor Iain McMillan, Labour group leader, said the surge was "far too high" as the subject was discussed at a meeting of the infrastructure, land and environment policy board.
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His party called for the charge to remain at its current level and for any changes to be set in line with other adjustments to service charges put forward during next month's budget-setting process. However, the new three-year pricing strategy has passed after a vote.
Councillor McMillan, who represents Johnstone South and Elderslie, said: "I just think the proposed increase is far too high for a start. We normally look at service charges as part of the budget process and the budget process is not that far away.
"The increase in service charges tend to be an awful lot lower than the proposed charge today, so I think it should be going to the budget process."
The veteran politician said "people are getting hammered right, left and centre" as he branded the rise "astronomical" during the meeting.
The permit scheme was rolled out by the local authority in July 2023. Unlike food waste, which people can continue to present on its own in brown bins for uplift free of charge, the collection of garden waste is not a statutory service and, therefore, not one the council is required to provide.
However, an exemption on payment is offered to householders entitled to full or severe mental impairment council tax reduction.
Explaining its reasoning behind the increase in a report, the council said the cost of providing the service is "expected to rise significantly" next year.
Councillor Michelle Campbell, board convener and SNP representative for Erskine and Inchinnan, said she had considered the proposal "very carefully". She added: "We do have measures for exemption built into this, which many other local authorities do not have built into the way that they've done it.
"We have a full year service as well, which other areas don't have ... What the ask is is 94p per week for the service provision that is run in that first year. In year two, it's £1.04 per week and then £1.14 per week for year three. I don't think that that's asking an astronomical amount."
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