People who want to continue with fortnightly garden waste collections from April 1, are being urged to sign up at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/garden-waste to ensure they get the most from the Council’s subscription-only service.
The easiest way to subscribe and pay is online by debit or credit card at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/garden-waste. For those without access to the internet, they can subscribe by calling 01234 975 867.
The subscription period runs until March 31, 2025 and will cost £55 per bin whenever subscribers join, so to get best value from the service, people are advised to sign-up now.
Subscribers to the service will receive a sticker to place on the bin so collection crews can identify which ones they need to empty, and a welcome pack reminding them what is accepted in the garden waste bin.
If residents choose not to opt in, no action will be required, but they will no longer receive garden waste collections. Garden waste can be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre (Tidy Tip) or composted in your garden.
The implementation of the service charge is a response to the financial challenges faced by local councils caused by inflation and increasing demand on both children’s services and adult social care. Over 70 per cent of councils in England already charge for garden waste collection and the Council estimates it will save £2 million a year, helping to protect vital services.
Cllr Mary Walsh, Executive Member for Planning and Waste Services said: “Like many councils across the UK, we are faced with either finding new sources of income or cutting back our existing services.
“That’s why we have made the difficult decision to implement a charge for garden waste collection. In a consultation last year, we asked residents about potential budget savings. The introduction of a fee for garden waste collections, which is not a statutory service, was considered preferable to other options we proposed.
“You can take garden waste to one of our four Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), open seven days a week, where it will be recycled, or you can choose to compost at home.
“Please be aware that your garden waste bin remains the property of Central Bedfordshire Council and is intended to be used for garden waste only. We want to give people every opportunity to consider taking up the subscription service, and so it is our intention to collect unwanted bins following a three-month review period.”
Central Bedfordshire Council has recently started a free weekly collection of used single-use coffee pods. People can find out more and register for the ‘Podback’ service at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/podback. In 2025/26 the Council will further extend its waste and recycling service by introducing free kerbside glass collection.
Visit the Council website to find the opening hours of your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre. www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/tidytips.
LINKS TO MARCH’S PAPERS
BEDFORD BOROUGH BULLETIN
https://digital.magmgr.com/Preview/Index/2696089#page/1
KEMPSTON CALLING
https://https://digital.magmanager.co.uk/Preview/Index/2696149#page/1
BEDS COUNTY BULLETIN
https://digital.magmgr.com/Preview/Index/2696133#page/1
SIGN UP FOR YOUR DAILY NEWS FEED
https://www.bedsbulletin.com/bulletin/sign-up/
SIGN UP FOR YOUR DAILY NEWS FEED
https://www.bedsbulletin.com/bulletin/sign-up/
