A new garden waste collection service, costing residents £30 a year, is set to be introduced in a bid to further improve Ashford’s poor recycling record.

Ashford Borough Council’s cabinet approved proposals for service to be introduced alongside the new Biffa waste recycling service which starts in April.

It follows the authority being labelled the UK’s worst recyclers for the third year in a row in October last year.

Portfolio holder Cllr Jessamy Blanford (Con) said: “There has been a call for a new garden waste collection service.

“The proposed charge of £30 is comparable with the lowest scheme in Kent. No council in Kent runs a free scheme. It works out at around 50p per week.”

The old service was scrapped in 2008 but since then residents have been allowed to put out two black sacks of garden waste each week, for free, alongside their normal household waste.

The free collection had a negative impact on the waste disposal costs for Ashford and Kent County Councils. Officers expected the new subscription service will pay for itself by generating £75,000 each year.

Deputy leader Cllr Gerry Clarkson said: “This is a direct response to quite a number of members and residents who said the council would need to introduce this at some time as part of our new recycling programme.

“It’s not really going to generate any income because it has to be paid for.
“The cost that we are charging is at no burden to the ratepayer. I’m extremely in on it because my wife spends her life going to the tip.”

Residents can register to the service from February 1 and will receive free collections in April and May before being charged in June. The service charge will rise to £35 per year in two years’ time.