Bolton MP opposes plan for charges on garden waste pick ups

The proposal will see households have to opt in to pay a fee of £45 a year to have their garden waste picked up from green bins.

But this has already proven controversial and Bolton West MP Phil Brickell has said that he too has concerns about the idea.

Mr Brickell said: “Looking at these proposals, I have reservations about the plans to introduce a green waste charge.

“I understand the need to find ways to balance the council books, but we need to ensure that this fits in with our wider priorities for the borough.

Charges could be brought in for garden waste collections (Image: Bolton Council)

“I have taken on board the individual concerns of residents who have contacted me since the announcement of the consultation.

"I also share the concerns about the wording of the questions in the consultation.

“Therefore, I will be making representations to the council on my view as a local MP.”

The move has already been condemned by Conservative environment spokesperson Cllr Nadim Muslim who described it as a “garden tax”, and by the borough’s branch of the Green Party.

Horwich and Blackrod First Independents leader Cllr David Grant has also said that he “cannot support the proposals.”

As it stands, Bolton Council collects garden waste like grass cuttings, tree and shrub pruning, dead flowers and weeds every two weeks paid for out of general council taxation.

But the authority is now proposing to bring a yearly charge of £45 to help save around £1M annually from its environmental budget.

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This will only apply to garden waste, meaning green bins will still be used for food waste, while collection days will stay the same.

The charge will also not apply to houses in “hard to reach” areas that do not have either a green bins or caddy.

The proposal was made after changes were brought in for routes earlier this year and beige bin collections for cardboard and paper were cut from every two weeks to every four weeks.

The green bins proposal can be found by going to Chargeable Garden Waste Removal Consultation on the active consultations section of Bolton Council's website.