Dundee residents are facing another rise in the cost of their brown bin garden waste permits next year, The Courier can reveal.
The fee was introduced in March 2020 in an effort to cover the cost of collecting waste including grass cuttings from people’s homes.
The initial cost was set at £35 a year, leading to anger from some locals.
The charge – branded a “garden tax” by critics – then went up to £40 for 2022, a rise of 14% in just two years.
Now it has been confirmed that Dundee City Council is planning to hike the cost further to £42.50 from 2023.
Community group hits out at ‘opportunistic’ hike
That would equate to a 21% rise in the fee in the space of just three years, as locals face various other pressures on the cost of living.
The proposal to raise the charge again has sparked concern about how much people will recycle.
A spokesman for Broughty Ferry Community Council has described it as “opportunistic”.
He said: “It just so happens that the collection of garden waste is not statutory, so there is a loophole that they can charge people for collecting waste.
“This is happening right across the country. Every local authority is beginning to charge for waste because they see it as a revenue steam, the same way as parking tickets are a revenue stream, and it’s evident that the local authorities desperately need revenue.
“If Dundee City Council were to specifically say that the money from this would go directly towards some sort of frontline service, either retention or improvement, I think that would generally be received better.
The frustration is that this is the new normal when it comes to garden waste
Broughty Ferry Community Council
“It comes down to value. Some residents won’t have bins at all, other residents will have two bins – in which case it’s not a £42.50 charge, it’s an £85 charge.
“You may only need two bins for a two-month period in the summer and yet you’ll still have to pay £85.
“The likelihood is this will continue to rise in cost for the foreseeable future – the frustration is that this is the new normal when it comes to garden waste.”
Lib Dem councillor Fraser Macpherson, who was opposed to this year’s fee rise, believes a further hike will discourage recycling in the city.
He said: “I’m astonished it’s so soon after SNP council put the charge up from £35 to £40.
“We will be opposing that at the budget and, not only will we try to stop it going up to £42.50, we will also seek to cut it down from £40 to £30.
“Long-term I’d like to see the back of it entirely.
“If we’re serious about recycling, we really shouldn’t be putting disincentives in the way.”
Council chief: Rise is ‘value for money’
Councillor Willie Sawers, finance spokesperson for the SNP-led council administration, says he believes the rise is fair.
He said: “This modest increase of 5p per week is not being implemented until March 2023.
“I believe that this charge offers good value for money and allows the council to continue providing the garden waste collection service across the city.”
The fee is part of budget proposals going before councillors on Thursday – when they are also likely to approve a 2.9% rise in council tax for 2022/23.
