Braintree’s new ?55 garden bin charge ‘avoids huge council tax hike’

An Essex council will charge its residents £55 per year for garden waste collection in a bid to avoid huge council tax increases. Braintree District Council is preparing to introduce a yearly opt-in subscription commencing in March 2024.

If the service was to remain free, local residents would see their council tax payments increase by approximately nine per cent in order to fill a £2million gap in the council’s budget. Councillor Frankie Ricci, Conservative councillor for Great Notley and Black Notley, said: “This proposition takes us out of the minority, and into the majority of authorities which are charging for green waste collection.

“But I shuddered at the mention of this leading to an increase of council tax, which would be wholly unfair on those who don’t use a garden waste bin.” Basing calculations on the £327,000 spending hole in the planning enforcement team’s budget – the largest contributor to the council’s £2m budget gap overall – Councillor Kevin Bowers said: “Hypothetically, council tax rises could be around nine per cent.

Cllr Bowers (Con, Silver End and Cressing) added: “I say ‘hypothetically’, as we have referendum principles which wouldn’t allow us to go above a certain level.” If a council wishes to raise council tax payments by more than 4.99 per cent, it is obliged to organise a referendum in order for its residents to vote on whether to accept the proposed rise.

Cllr Bowers said: “This is the most challenging financial position the council has ever been in.” At a cost of £683,000 per year, the council acknowledged that the current discretionary service is “not sustainable” in the present financial climate.

Introducing the motion, Councillor Tom Cunningham, Braintree District Council’s cabinet member for transformation, the environment and customer services, made reference to the extreme rise in inflation. He said: “Unprecedented inflation has put an additional strain on finances and this has exacerbated the need for difficult decision making.”

Acknowledging the needs of Braintree residents, Cllr Cunningham said: “This is a service appreciated by many. However, the need to protect statutory services following the most unprecedented years in living memory means we have a difficult decision to make.”

References

1. ^{^} Essex council takes ‘difficult decision’ to charge for brown bin collections (www.essexlive.news)