Changes are on the way to how some of Stockport's bins are collected.

After having to find £26m in savings this year, the council approved new cost-cutting measures in February which include changes to blue and green bins.

More than 90,000 Stockport households with green bins – which are used for removing food and garden waste – will face paying a new fee for part of the service.

This is part of the council's plan to charge for weekly garden waste removal from April, but the change does not affect food waste which will still be collected from green bins each week for free.

Blue bin collections for paper and cardboard are also changing, and will be collected once a month rather than every two weeks as they are currently.

The council's deputy leader Mark Roberts said the changes will save money and are needed to protect "vital frontline" services, helping to keep Stockport's libraries and swimming pools open.

Stockport town hall (Image - Nub News)

The town hall explained on its website: 'We know that this service is valued by residents with gardens and we're keen to continue to provide it. However, with pressure on council budgets, we're unable to continue to provide this service free of charge.'

But the plans faced backlash from residents, especially the garden waste charge.

Locals in Cheadle Hulme told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in January they were worried the charge could lead to more fly tipping – although the council said there is no evidence of this in other areas with garden waste collection fees.

Despite the concerns, there has already been huge uptake of garden waste permits in Stockport, the council said, with more than 3,400 permits already being sold for a total value of around £200,000.

With big changes on the way to Stockport's bins, the Local Democracy Reporting Service takes a look at how it will all work.

(Image - Zanda Photography / Unsplash)

How much is Stockport's garden waste collection charge?

A garden waste permit in Stockport will cost £59 and last from March 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The price is discounted to £39 for people getting council tax support.

Stockport's garden waste service will run from April 2025 to March 2026. Permits can be bought at any time during the year, but the price does not reduce for buying it at a later date.

After March 2026, the permits will expire and a new one needs to be bought to continue having garden waste collected in green bins each week.

How does the new garden waste permit work?

Green bin collections will still happen every week. Residents who order a garden waste permit may have to wait up to 21 days for it to be delivered. This needs to be stuck on the green bin below the handles, instructions of how to do this will be sent with the permit.

Each garden waste permit will have an address on, and garden waste will only be collected from green bins with a valid permit.

Food waste will continue to be collected from green bins for free each week, without needing a permit. The collection day will stay the same as it is now.

(Image - Nub News)

What happens to those who don't buy a garden waste permit?

Those without a garden waste permit will not be able to use their green bin for anything other than food waste.

If green bins without a valid garden waste permit are found to have anything other than food waste inside, they will not be emptied, the council said.

Collection crews will attach a notice to the bin saying that it has not been collected and the reason why.

At that point residents would face the option of removing the garden waste themselves and putting the bin out again on the next collection day, buying a garden waste permit, or paying £25 for a 'decontamination collection.'

Those without a green bin where a wheelie bin collection service is provided by the council can order one for £25, but the authority is encouraging residents who only plan to use a green bin for food waste to order an external food caddy for £10 instead, which can be put out for collection in the same way as green bins. A permit is not needed for a food caddy.

Where can a garden waste permit be bought?

Garden waste permits in Stockport can be bought on the council's website.

The town hall said anyone who needs a helping hand to get online can access support at their local library.

Permits are registered to a house and cannot be moved from one house to another.

If someone moves home within Stockport they would need to check if their new house has a garden waste permit, and if not they could choose to buy one.

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