Brown bin charges in Peterborough set to rise

Brown bin charges in Peterborough are set to increase.
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Under newly released budget proposals by the Conservative-run city council, collections for garden waste would increase from £45 to £50 a year.

The council said it is tackling a £36 million deficit due to cuts to its government funding and huge costs relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The increased charge for collecting brown bins is expected to raise an additional £190,000 a year.

Brown bin charges in Peterborough are likely to increaseBrown bin charges in Peterborough are likely to increase
Brown bin charges in Peterborough are likely to increase

A £25 charge for a second (or subsequent) brown bin will also be introduced if the budget proposals are voted through on December 9.

Charges for garden waste collections were controversially introduced in 2014 to save the council at the time £800,000 a year.

Explaining why costs were now increasing, the council’s budget report states: “The existing budget does not allow for back office software improvements, the impact on vehicle costs, or officer time.

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“This would be the first increase to the charge since 2018/19 (from £39 to £45).”

The limit on the number of brown bins any one household has would be “removed where operational demand allows” under the proposals.

However, this has been rejected by council leader Cllr John Holdich who said there was “no evidence of that”.

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Deputy leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald added: “We can’t make a profit on these services.

“But we want to invest in cleaner, greener services for waste disposal and we have to fund that. The sooner we can do that the better.

“This is a discretionary service and you’re not being forced to pay.”

Further budget articles will appear at www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk.

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