New Dudley Council fees to see churches and mosques charged for excess rubbish collections

Anything over one wheelie bin or three sacks of waste will have to be paid for.

Businesses are also facing a rise in costs for waste collection, under changes announced by Dudley Council.

Bosses said the charges, to come into force from April, were necessary due to rising costs.

Places of worship will now have to pay from £1.20 up to £8.52 depending on how much waste is left for binmen to collect.

One 180-litre wheelie bin or three sacks of rubbish will still be collected free of charge.

Dudley Council said it had written to the 41 places of worship to inform them of the charges.

The authority was not allowed to bring in a blanket charge for all rubbish under laws which put places of worship in the same category as households, and so should have their rubbish collected for free unless the amount goes over one wheelie bin.

"Anything over and above this can be classed as commercial waste and charged accordingly," a council report said.

Collection charges to some businesses will increase by five per cent.

Small collections from businesses or factories, up to 10 bags of rubbish, will now cost £51.07 and large collections £96.40.

The council said its waste disposal costs had risen by 4.26 per cent as well as fleet management costs due to ageing vehicles.

Reverend Andrew Wickens, from Dudley's Top Church, on Vicar Street, said: "Places of worship have benefitted for a number of years from the fact they haven't been charged for rubbish collections.

"I am sure churches and other places of worship will need to take into account the change in terms of their own budgetary planning.

"Clearly, it is an additional financial consideration churches and other places of worship will have to find but that's not to say people aren't ready to be generous in that respect."

The council's environment boss Councillor Hilary Bills said: "The council classes places of worship as households in respect of their waste collection, and as such they are eligible for the same free service as our residents.

"However, any waste generated over and above this, for example from meetings and events being held in church halls, is classed as trade waste and is therefore chargeable.

"The charge we have introduced is discounted to reflect the important role that places of worship have in our community."