Stockport Council have set their budget for the next financial year and residents will see their council tax increase by 4.99 per cent and will be charged for bin collections
Charging for kerbside garden waste collection says the ckuncil is standard practice across the country. Around 80% of councils already charge for this service, with fees of up to £94 per year for a fortnightly collection.
Stockport was one of the few councils still offering free, weekly garden and food waste collection, but rising costs have made this unsustainable.
Following approval at the Budget Council meeting the Garden waste collection will move to an opt-in system.
If residents opt-in, then collections would be weekly with £59 per year (discounted to £39 for residents on Council Tax support).
Food waste collection remains free for all residents and Blue bin (paper) collection will change from fortnightly to monthly.
Cllr Mark Roberts, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “Introducing new charges is never a decision we take lightly. We fully understand the impact on residents. However, this charge helps us reduce the savings we need to find elsewhere, protecting vital frontline services like libraries, pools, parks, and social care. It also ensures that garden waste collection can continue, while food waste collection remains free for everyone.”
Cllr Jilly Julian, Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, added: ” We’ve had to find savings of £26m this year, £12m the previous year, and £10m prior to that. We’ve spent a year discussing key pressure-points in Scrutiny, Council meetings and working groups. The choices that have been available to us in previous years are simply not there. Tweaks don’t come close to filling the gap, and sticking plasters don’t hold in the face of year-on-year challenges.
“But we are still investing in what matters: cleaning up the borough, keeping our roads and drainage systems maintained, supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis, and improving road safety – especially around schools.”
“The Local Government Association has identified a £4 billion funding black hole for English councils over the next two years, eventually rising to £8.4bn by 2029.
“We urgently need the government to fix this broken system. Until then, we will continue making the tough choices needed to protect Stockport’s future.”
