Stockport residents will be hit with new charges for bin collections and council tax under the borough's approved budget plans – with an opposition councillor describing some of it as a new "poll tax."

The council had to make savings worth £26m this year through cost-cutting measures and "efficiency" changes to balance the books – a situation which the town hall is warning will get even more difficult in the next few years.

Stockport's council tax rate is going up by 4.99 percent as part of this year's budget, with people living in band D properties set to pay £100 a year more thanks to the borough's budget plans.

A full list of council tax increases is being worked out and is expected to be shared with residents from the middle of March, the council said.

There are also major changes to green and blue bin collections coming.

Weekly garden waste collections in Stockport's green bins are currently free, but residents will now be asked to opt in by paying £59 a year to continue the service, discounted to £39 for those getting council tax support.

Residents will now have to opt in to green garden waste bin collections (Image - Stockport Council)

The council said this will help reduce costs and advised residents they can buy a compost bin starting at £10 to dispose of their garden waste that way instead.

Weekly food waste collections in green bins will carry on as usual without any extra cost.

Blue bins for paper and cardboard are also set to change, collections are currently made every two weeks but this will change to once a month under the new plans.

Stockport council's deputy leader Mark Roberts said the changes will help save libraries and swimming pools from closing.

He added: "Introducing new charges is never a decision we take lightly. We fully understand the impact on residents. However, this charge helps us reduce the savings we need to find elsewhere, protecting vital frontline services like libraries, pools, parks, and social care.

"It also ensures that garden waste collection can continue, while food waste collection remains free for everyone."

Councillors voted to approve the budget plans with 32 voting in favour, 27 against, and three abstentions. No amendments were submitted for debate.

The budget passed on Thursday 27 February at Stockport town hall, with 32 in favour and 27 against (Image - Nub News)

It came off the back of more than 8,000 residents responding to a public consultation on the budget proposals, with anger over the garden waste charges.

Residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in January they believed it would cause more fly tipping and hit struggling families in the pocket.

But council bosses said "difficult decisions" had to be taken to make sure the council completed its legal duty to set a balanced budget.

They also pointed out that Stockport was one of the only councils in the country to miss out on millions of pounds of support from the government through the Recovery Fund.

But Cllr David Meller, leader of Stockport Labour group, said garden waste could "end up in grids, gullies and be fly tipped" once the collection charge is brought in.

He added: "I would go as far to say it's effectively a sort of poll tax. When you look at band A residents when you take into account the increase in council tax and then you add on £59, you're looking at a rise on top of the 4.99pc [council tax rise] of 3.59pc for band A residents.

"Those in band A who are fortunate enough to have a garden and a green garden waste bin are going to face a higher percentage increase in their bills as a result of what is proposed today."

Stockport town centre (Image - Stockport Nub News)

Other changes on the way include plans for new fees around half of Stockport's free car parks, a move which was decided as part of last year's budget but is still being rolled out.

Stockport council leader Mark Hunter said the borough's budget has been decided in the context of a lack of government support.

He said: "Putting more onto local taxpayers is not a choice we would make – but it is the reality we face.

"Everyone knows how tough things are for councils right now. The government simply isn't funding local services properly.

"It was only a couple of months ago that Stockport received no share of the Recovery Grant fund from the government, one of only three metropolitan councils across the country to get no money, making our financial position once again extremely difficult.

"That said, with councils across the country going bankrupt, I'm proud that Stockport remains financially secure – but this hasn't happened by accident."

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