Hundreds sign petition to ‘stop’ garden waste charge
Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling to 'stop' Stockport council's new charge for garden waste collections.
A public petition on the council's website against the move was launched on March 24 and has been signed by 385 people in total, running until May 5.
Anyone who lives, works, or studies in the Stockport area can add their signature to the petition, which describes the garden waste service as a 'green bin garden tax' and calls on Stockport Liberal Democrats – the group running the council – to stop the change from going ahead.
Stockport's garden waste service means residents with green bins have to buy a permit costing £59 to continue having their garden waste collected weekly until March 31, 2026, with a discounted price of £39 for those getting council tax support.
Food-only collections will continue as normal in green bins without the need for a permit.
The charge is set to impact more than 90,000 households in Stockport with green bins, and was part of the council's annual budget which was agreed in February after a vote.
During the budget meeting in February, 32 councillors voted in favour of the plans, 27 against, and three abstentions. No amendments were submitted during the debate.
The council signed off on a plan which included finding £26m of savings to balance the books.
Mark Roberts, Stockport council's deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change and environment, said not making the decision on the garden waste collections "would [have] put our borough at serious financial risk."
"The charge is projected to raise a surplus of £2m which will be used to keep libraries and leisure centres open, support social care, fight the never-ending deterioration of our roads and try to keep the streets clean," Cllr Roberts added.
"We take zero pleasure in making decisions such as this and we are aware that many residents feel strongly about this charge.
"However, as outlined above, the alternative path that the council would have to go down is far more unpalatable to our residents and would put our borough at serious financial risk."
The council said in March that it had sold 26,000 garden waste permits, worth around £1.5m.
Stockport's finances have come under growing pressure in recent years, and the council missed out on vital help from the government when it was overlooked in the Recovery Fund.
Council leader Mark Hunter said in January that Stockport was one of only three metropolitan councils across the country to get nothing from the £600m pot of money.
More than 60 per cent of Stockport council's budget is spent on adult social care and support for vulnerable children, Cllr Roberts added
"The spiralling costs to provide those services, coupled with year-on-year funding cuts from central government, means that most local councils have had to implement a charge such as this.
"According to government figures, Stockport is the third lowest spending council per household in Greater Manchester and we are doing all we can to avoid bankruptcy and the devastating impact that would have on all local services.
"Whilst councils are required to collect food waste, they are not required to collect garden waste and, where they do so, they are actively encouraged by government to charge."
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "This government is under no illusions about the financial issues facing councils and we are determined to make progress on the inheritance we've been left.
"That's why we're making available £69bn to council budgets across England – a 6.8 per cent cash terms increase – which includes up to an additional £19.8m for Stockport council.
"We are also bringing forward the first multi-year funding settlement in a decade, so we can deliver better public services and drive forward our Plan for Change."
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