News

Anger over Wokingham green waste fees

July 27, 2012

Frustrations over green waste charges were twice brought before the borough council by Liberal Democrat councillors last week.

Cllr Prue Bray, leader of Wokingham Lib Dems, raised two questions over the costs of dealing with green waste at Wokingham Borough Council’s full council meeting last Thursday.

Cllr Angus Ross, executive member for environment, didn’t commit to reducing fees but said they could be changed after a review of the service.

“The Conservatives painted a rose-tinted picture of the waste collection service,” said a Lib Dem spokesman.

“The Lib Dems know that there are a lot of people out there who are still not happy with it.”

Cllr Bray asked for a rethink to the £60 green waste collection charge stating residents feel fees are too expensive and unfair to those on low incomes.

However Cllr Ross said he could “give no guarantee they will be changed but it will be part of the review we are conducting to see how the system is operating”.

The Lib Dems also highlighted those who help their neighbours with their gardens and collect leaves from council owned trees.

Cllr Beth Rowland said, “Under the current scheme these people have to pay the full rates for bags and bins. It doesn’t seem right that people should be made to pay for being community-minded.”

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Most recent user comments 9 of 9

There are two side to this cost cutting drive. Both WBC and residents have their reasons for controlling costs so that essential services can be maintained. For those relying on low rate savings and poorly performing pensions to provide an income, can they afford this 'garden tax'? For those lucky enough to be in work in a recession, do they pay up or put the £60 towards, for example, a redundancy contingency fund? It works both ways.

Woky Local
31/07/2012 at 09:59

Walking around South Lake the other day, I saw three of the local residents dumping their rubbish over the fence into the wooded area of the lake. How long will it take before this starts to smell like the rest of it at the top of South Lake - because the council don't bother with it anymore. South Lake is getting very overgrown. I dare say there will be a complaint to the council before long as someone will be hit in the eye by a branch or overgrown bush!! Don't say I didn't warn you WBC. Isn't it about time WBC starting doing something for the Woodley area?

Me-Here, Woodley
30/07/2012 at 13:00

@Old Man in the Moon, Woodley try using this site under the Freedom of Information:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/

Local Woky, Wokingham
30/07/2012 at 06:08

Still waiting for someone to publish the tonnage of green waste previously collected (for recycling) and the tonnage now collected so we can have a m,eanful discussion, not a lordly rebuff. The Council talk of recycling but mean cutting the cost of the one service everyone in the borough relies on the Council to provide. This service is what Councils were created for in the 1930's, not to publish glorification booklets on how someone who asks for the safety of a road to be reviewed was given 'a bag of sweets'.

Old Man in the Moon, Woodley
27/07/2012 at 18:30

Veolia could send the other items abroad if we instructed them to like Windsor and Maidenhead do. As a resident I do not want my council to instruct a waste collector to sent my waste abroad. I would consider that irresponsible and I hope others would too. Why should another country have to deal with our waste problem?? There is not a market in the UK for these type of materials even if councils do collect them.

Recyclebank make their money from advertising and data collection not us the tax payer. I had a look at registering but the rewards don't really interest me.

I P Freely
27/07/2012 at 17:16

HOW COME?? VEOLIA RECYCLE FOR BOTH COUNCILS. WE HAVE WEEKLY RECYCLING - DON'T WE!!! RECYCLEBANK DOES COST SOMETHING. WBC PAY VEOLIA TO COLLECT IT.

fedupwithwokinghamresident
27/07/2012 at 16:11

Windsor and Maidenhead send the 'extra' items they 'recycle' to the Far East, is this really the option we want for the Borough?

It also costs them to have each housholds recycling weighed for Recyclebank points every week. WBC scheme with Recyclebank costs nothing.......

I P Freely
27/07/2012 at 15:30

THE GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION SHOULD BE FREE. AFTER ALL MOST PEOPLE ONLY NEED IT FOR 6-7 MONTHS OF THE YEAR ANYWAY. WE ARE IN THE SAME POSITION AS WOKY LOCAL - WE ALSO HAVE LEAVES FROM WBC TREES COLLECTING ON OUR PROPERTY. IN FACT 95% OF THE GREEN WASTE WE COLLECT IN THE AUTUMN IS FROM WBC TREES! £60 A YEAR FOR A 6-7 MONTH SERVICE IS OVERPRICED AND THIS WILL ONLY GO UP AND UP OVER THE YEARS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT TAKING OUR GREEN WASTE PLUS OUR HOUSE WASTE IS CHEAPER THAN PAYING FOR THE GREEN BIN, BUYING THE PAPER BAGS FOR THE GREEN WASTE AND BUYING EXTRA BLUE RUBBISH BAGS. COME ON WBC - WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD RATEPAYERS HAVE A BETTER RECYCLING SERVICE THAN WE DO. THEY CAN RECYCLE YOGHURT POTS, MARGARINE TUBS, GLASS, GREEN WASTE AND MORE FROM THEIR FRONT DOOR FOR FREE. EACH HOUSEHOLD ACCUMULATES POINTS FROM EACH HOUSEHOLD RECYCLES NOT LIKE US POOR WOKINGHAM RATEPAYERS. WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD ARE EVEN ALLOWING MORE ITEMS TO BE ADDED TO THE RECYCLING LIST. IT GETS BETTER THEY PAY LESS RATES THAN US AND OH BY THE WAY GUESS WHO DOES THEIR RECYCLING - VEOLIA - THE SAME AS WBC.

fedupwithwokinghamresident
27/07/2012 at 14:29

My green waste gets mixed in with my general waste. Whatever the argument for and against this change in policy, I will not pay an extra penny for green waste collection.