How much YOU have to pay across North Staffordshire in 2024 to get your garden bin emptied
Garden waste collections in many local authority areas are no longer free of charge. And so this is the case in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas.
In fact the only council in our area not to currently have a subscription service in place is Staffordshire Moorlands. In the city, residents wanting to have their garden rubbish cleared all year round must sign up to a winter subscription service.
The cash generated through the winter service enables the summer collections to be carried out free of charge, according to the council.
Both Newcastle Borough Council and Stafford Borough Council have annual subscription services in force, while Cheshire East has introduced charges for 2024.
READ: Christmas confusion as ‘idiotic’ council fails to empty bins[1] Stoke-on-Trent City Council has failed to empty Trentham’s bins between Christmas and new year
READ: Tough new fines of up to £1k as Stoke-on-Trent wages war against fly-tippers Stoke-on-Trent City Council is bringing in the tough new fines from Monday[2]
To see how much garden waste collections cost where you live – and how to apply for a service during 2024 – see below:
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
The city council runs a winter subscription service for garden waste collections from November until April. It costs £15 per bin and the charge enables the authority to provide the service for free during the summer period.
Garden waste bins are emptied fortnightly on the same weekday as the recycling bin. If you move to another property within Stoke-on-Trent you can switch your garden waste subscription to the new address for a charge of £5.
The council says residents should not move their existing garden waste bin to the new property, as it will have the old address on the label and would not be emptied.
If you currently have a garden waste bin collected during the summer months then you are eligible to sign up to the winter service. Due to accessibility of some roads and premises, the service is not available in some areas of the city.
To sign up for the winter subscription service click here.[3]
Newcastle Borough Council
In Newcastle-under-Lyme it costs £39.95 for a single garden waste bin for the year. During 2024, fortnightly collections will take place between January 8 and the last week of December. There are no discounts for joining at a later date.
Residents can use the online garden waste subscription form to add another garden waste bin to their existing subscription – again charged at £39.95. The council has a replacement bin delivery charge of £28.50 if the original bin is lost or stolen.
To sign up for the annual service click here.[4]
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Garden waste collections are free of charge in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Garden waste goes in the brown bin and collections take place fortnightly.
Brown bin collections were suspended over Christmas and New Year but will restart on Monday, January 8. The council states: “At times when you have too much garden waste to fit into your brown bin, you can leave up to 10 compostable garden waste sacks.
“If you regularly have more compostable material (food and garden plant waste) to fit in to your brown bin, you can buy up to 3 additional brown bins.” To do so, click here.[5]
Stafford Borough Council
This year’s charge for garden waste collections is £42 per brown bin. Collections normally take every two weeks on the same day as the blue bin (and bag).
The council states that the subscription charge applies at whichever point residents sign up in the year and will expire on December 31. There are no pro-rata discounts or refunds given and monthly payments are not an option.
If residents need additional bins they will be charged at the same annual rate. Permits for each new year are a different colour and must be placed on the rear of the brown bin under the handles.
Homeowners have the option to share a brown bin with a neighbour and ultimately save on the annual subscription cost, however the council states they “must decide who will be responsible for paying the charge and who will be responsible for putting the bin out to avoid a missed collection”.
To sign up to the annual service click here.[6]
Cheshire East Council
The authority has introduced a subscription service for garden waste collections this year. It will cost residents £56 and be taken in full at the point of order.
A maximum of 24 scheduled garden waste collections per household will take place during the service year. Collections will be suspended during the Christmas and New Year period for four weeks.
To sign up to the service click here.[7]
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References
- ^ Christmas confusion as ‘idiotic’ council fails to empty bins (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Tough new fines of up to £1k as Stoke-on-Trent wages war against fly-tippers (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ here. (www.stoke.gov.uk)
- ^ here. (www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk)
- ^ here. (requestbin.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk)
- ^ here. (customers.staffordbc.gov.uk)
- ^ here. (bins.cheshireeast.gov.uk)
- ^ or click here (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)