Wolverhampton householders face £35 bill for second green bin

The charge is due to be brought in next year for residents who require an additional bin to the one already provided free of charge by the authority.

Council bosses have described the charge as 'good value for money' and say they are not expecting to make a profit from the scheme.

The new bins, which will be identifiable by their brown lids, will be collected at the same time as other green bins.

Cabinet member for city services Councillor John Reynolds, said the council had received increased requests for additional bins over the past summer.

He added: "We have come up with a figure of £35 which we consider to be good value for money for gardeners who require an extra bin."

The move comes after it was revealed the council spent more than £50,000 providing new or replacing lost or damaged garden waste wheelie bins in the past year.

Figures released by Amey, the firm that collects waste on behalf of the cash-strapped authority, show 3,107 green bins were provided during 2013/14 at a cost of £17.55 each.

The council's total spend on the 240 litre bins was £54,530, while £5,807.85 was spent on providing 307 households with a second bin.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Tim Clark, said bins were replaced for a number of reasons, including natural wear and tear, accidental damage and vandalism.

Amey is tasked with collecting all waste from 98,000 domestic properties in the city, although only 75 per cent of households use the service. Around 80 per cent of the total annual tonnage of garden waste is collected between April and October.

Last month the council announced it was scrapping garden waste collections from December 1 to March 27 in a bid to save £80,000 a year. The move led to some residents calling for a reduction in their council tax bills.

Opposition leader Councillor Wendy Thompson, said: "This assumption that nobody does anything in the garden in winter months is a blow to the thousands of people in Wolverhampton for whom the garden is a vital form of activity and exercise, those who take a pride in the garden as part of their home, whether they own or rent it, and those who find it difficult to get to the nearest refuse site."

"Is this latest charge the prelude to the whole service being stopped except for those who are prepared to pay for it?"