Tories hike up your green bin tax again

The green waste collection was provided free of charge in West Wiltshire by the old District Council as a service to the people. Wiltshire Council took a different approach and introduced a fee of £40 a couple of years ago. Above-inflation increases each year since have brought the charge to £44.

The council is also threatening to disrupt the collections of anyone who doesn't pay up on time.

WC says: "People are being reminded to renew their garden waste collection subscription by 16 June if they want to receive this service. Existing customers will be sent a unique reference number which they can use to renew. From April 2016 to February 2017 almost 28,000 tonnes of garden waste was collected from the 81,123 households subscribed to the service.All garden waste collected is composted locally with people encouraged to put bark, grass cuttings, cut flowers, weeds, leaves, hedge clippings, twigs and small branches in the bins."

Carlton Brand, corporate director at Wiltshire Council said: "As we move into the months when we produce the most garden waste, I'd like to remind our garden waste customers to make sure they have signed up for next year's collection service in good time."

Last year almost 28,000 tonnes of garden waste was collected and composted.

A full waste collection calendar is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/rubbish-collection-days.