Wealden to start charging for garden waste collections

Wealden District Council has announced it will be introducing charges for garden waste collections.
Garden waste bins in Western Road, Hailsham (Photo by Jon Rigby)Garden waste bins in Western Road, Hailsham (Photo by Jon Rigby)
Garden waste bins in Western Road, Hailsham (Photo by Jon Rigby)

The authority will introduce a £50 a year charge from July 1, 2019 when the new Joint Waste Contract for refuse and recycling collections launches.

Councillor Roy Galley said, “We anticipated this decision last year in the expectation that the new contract would be more costly.

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“Our commitment to garden waste recycling has helped Wealden achieve its strong recycling record, with recycling rates above 50 per cent.

“Garden waste collection is not a service councils are required to provide.

“It was introduced in Wealden 15 years ago to help increase our recycling. In the face of increasing costs, we can no longer expect council tax payments to subsidise fully this part of the service, particularly when not all residents use the service.”

The councillor continued, “We have, reluctantly, decided to ask the residents who value the service to make a contribution to the cost, as residents in the other joint waste partnership authorities of Rother and Hastings already do.

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“This level of charge will place us well down the list of the authorities across the whole of Sussex that charge for garden waste services with all except Rother charging more.”

“I firmly believe this still represents good value for money for our residents – a cost of around £1 a week.”

More information about the operation of the scheme and how to sign up will be provided to residents in the new year, along with information about home composting for those who choose to do so.