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16
Oct
Cost of garden waste collections set to increase in Harrogate district
The cost of garden waste collections is set to increase by above the rate of inflation in the Harrogate district next year.
North Yorkshire Council has proposed increasing the charge for the opt-in service, which runs from March to November, from £49 to £52.
The move is estimated to generate about £314,560 of additional income.
The cost of new and replacement rubbish and recycling wheelie bins is also expected to rise from £35 to £37.50 next year in a move estimated to save about £100,000.
Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:
The increases are needed so that we can continue to provide a valuable service to residents without compromising on standards, while keeping costs down as much as we can.
We have thought carefully about how much we should increase these charges by. We want to be fair to the customer and, if they are set too high, it could affect demand.
We believe increasing charges by inflation plus £1.50 for garden waste and £1 for new and replacement bins rounded to the nearest 50p is a fair amount, with the additional income vital in protecting our frontline services.
Man emptying a bin
Mr Battersby is expected to agree the proposals with Cllr Richard Foster, the executive member for managing our environment, at a meeting on Friday, October 24.
The council said in a press release today (October 16) announcing the fee increase that the new charge for the garden waste service was still below the regional average of £58.94.
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