Almost 7,000 households in Stafford sign up for £36 brown bin collection charge
Almost 7,000 households in Stafford have signed up to have their garden waste collected next year ahead of new charges being introduced.
Stafford Borough Council announced it would charge £36 per year to empty the brown bin from January 1 in a bid to help balance the books.
Chiefs hope the decision, proposed last year, will help save around £900,000 which will be used to safeguard vital services across the Stafford borough.
Will Conaghan, spokesman for Stafford Borough Council, said: "Around 7,000 households have already signed up in the last fortnight to receive the garden waste service next year.
"Residents have until the end of this year if they want to sign up to continue receiving their brown bin collection service from January – but you can also register at any point during the year.
"Please go to our website to sign up, find further information, and where there are also answers to many of the questions we have been asked regarding the change."
Collecting garden waste is not a statutory service and around 65 per cent of local authorities across the country already charge residents to have grass cuttings removed.
The registration was launched online two weeks ago – with people living in the borough receiving a postcard letting them know about the changes coming into force.
Signing up to the service will ensure households continue to have their brown bin collected fortnightly by the authority's recycling and waste contractor, Veolia.
To sign up and for more information, visit www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin
