Huge bin collection change sees millions of Brits forced to PAY to have their rubbish taken away every other week

A HUGE bin collection change will see millions of Brits forced to may £40 to have their rubbish taken away.

Residents living in a dozen council areas have been left fuming over the change to their brown garden waste collections.

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Councils are set to roll out an annual fee for the fortnightly pick-up of brown-lidded bins, according to reports.

A charge of £40 is set to be implemented in Nuneaton and Bedworth, Stoke on Trent, Coventry, North Northamptonshire, Renfrewshire and Chesterfield from April 2024.

In other areas the price is set to surge – with residents in Cheshire and Basildon set to pay between £50 and £56.

Meanwhile, those New Forest District Council will splash £65 and residents in Barnet a whopping £70 – which could increase to £97.

The decision is part of a scheme that will see residents shelling out a one-time fee to get their bins picked up.

Those participating will receive a bin sticker indicating their participation – while those opting out will return their bins, the council confirmed.

The move means Brits will have to find alternatives for their garden waste.

However, it has sparked anger among many residents who slammed the “terrible” decision.

A local from Coventry fumed: “Why do we pay Council Tax then? I mean as far as I am concerned getting my bins emptied is all I get from the council anyway.”

Another said: “Terrible. We pay enough to Coventry City Council and should not have to pay for bins to be emptied.”

A third added: “I think we pay enough as it is.”

A fourth penned: “I am disappointed to hear about the plans to introduce charges for garden waste collection in April 2024. Residents deserve transparency and fair treatment.”

Coventry City Council said the decision, voted last year, comes in a bid to relieve financial pressures and to curb skyrocketing spending.

According to the local authority, spending is set to exceed £867.8m this year.

A statement by Coventry City Council said: “Councils are required by law to set a balanced budget every year. We were already aware that there were serious funding pressures.

“As a result, we needed to take a long look at our services and have identified places where we have to make cuts. Although these are difficult decisions for our organisation to make we want to be as open and transparent with you about them as possible.”

In Stoke-on-Trent locals will also see the annual £40 charge for garden waste collection starting on April 1.

But households will also fork out an extra 4 per cent increase in council tax.

The authority said it was not legally obliged to collect garden waste free of charge, and about 70 per cent of councils charged for the service.

Councillor Amjid Wazir said: “Not everyone needs or uses the garden waste service.”

He added the annual charge of £40 could be split with neighbours to lower the impact of the cost as some are “suffering considerable financial challenges”.

The charge has already already implemented in North Yorkshire for years – where residents pay £46.50.

In North East Derbyshire, the council confirmed residents will have to pay the extra charge for an additional green bin from early April.

A council spokesperson told The Sun Online: “North East Derbyshire District Council does not charge for green waste, everyone gets this service.

“For those who may have a greater need than the one free green bin, then they can elect for an additional green bin which is over and above the free bin provision for all – for this there is [and] will be a charge of £40 implemented from April 1.

“They can purchase up to three additional green bins to the one offered for free to be collected by our refuse service.”

In Basildon and Cheshire the charge could rise to around £50, while residents in Cannock will pay £38.50.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the wave of charges is not part of the Simpler Recycling reforms set to be rolled out from 2026.

A Defra spokesperson said: “Any decision to charge for garden waste collection is down to individual local authorities.”

It comes as are now paying £50 for a garden  permit.

Angry locals slammed the council over the move with many claiming they have been notified just two weeks before the change.