By . Ben Spencer . One in three councils in England and Wales charge residents to collect garden waste . More than three million families are paying a ‘garden tax’ to have their lawn clippings taken away by the council, Daily Mail research reveals. One in three councils in England and Wales charge residents to collect garden waste. The levy, which can cost up to £120 a year, is not imposed by authorities in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have retained free collections. It is feared that many householders simply send their hedge trimmings and other garden waste to landfill – or dump it in the street – to avoid the charge. Local authorities blame Whitehall budget cuts for the garden waste fees, which come on top of hefty council tax bills. But Brandon Lewis, the Tory minister for local government, last night accused councils of using residents as ‘cash cows’. Daily Mail analysis of official data collected by Wrap, the Government’s waste quango, reveals that 3.12million homes had to pay for garden waste to be collected by their councils in 2012/13. The English and Welsh councils which still offer a free service – two thirds of the total – collected green waste from 13million households with gardens, according to the latest figures. Mr Lewis said: ‘We believe that councils must not use residents as cash cows. People pay a £120-a-month council tax bill for services, including bins – they deserve a decent service in return.’ Several more councils have  abandoned free collections in recent months. Birmingham City Council, Britain’s largest local authority, introduced a £35 charge for garden waste collection in February. Just 37,000 of the city’s 400,000 households have signed up for the service, and residents report that many are dumping waste in the street instead. Liberal Democrat John Hemming, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, is considering legal action against the authority. He accused the Labour-run council of ‘failing in its duty’ to the city. ‘It’s a complete mess,’ he said. ‘They should reverse the decision on the green waste tax.’ Local authorities blame Whitehall budget cuts for the garden waste fees, which come on top of hefty council tax bills. File picture . The council has had to resort to warning of a £2,500 fine for anyone who dumps garden waste on the street. Labour councillor James McKay, who is in charge of waste services at the council, told a local newspaper: ‘It was always going to be difficult to take away a service which had been free. ‘We can’t continue to provide the same level of service when our controllable budget has been cut by two-thirds.’ Liberal Democrat-run South Gloucestershire Council, which introduced a £36 yearly charge in March, estimates the scheme will generate £1.2million a year. However Ian Adams, a Conservative on the council, predicts it will damage the environment as more residents simply put garden waste in their bin for ordinary rubbish rather than it being recycled. Charges also vary wildly across the country. Hart Council in Hampshire charges up to £120 a year for a fortnightly service, while Harlow Council in Essex charges £85. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said councils had increased their recycling from 13 per cent in 2001 to 43 per cent today, adding: ‘It is for individual councils to decide if the costs of additional green waste collection should be met by all council taxpayers or those that use the additional service.’
Local authorities blame budget cuts form Whitehall for fees .
It is feared residents are sending waste to landfill or are simply dumping it .
By . Ben Spencer . One in three councils in England and Wales charge residents to collect garden waste . More than three million families are paying a ‘garden tax’ to have their lawn clippings taken away by the council, Daily Mail research reveals. One in three councils in England and Wales charge residents to collect garden waste. The levy, which can cost up to £120 a year, is not imposed by authorities in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have retained free collections. It is feared that many householders simply send their hedge trimmings and other garden waste to landfill – or dump it in the street – to avoid the charge. Local authorities blame Whitehall budget cuts for the garden waste fees, which come on top of hefty council tax bills. But Brandon Lewis, the Tory minister for local government, last night accused councils of using residents as ‘cash cows’. Daily Mail analysis of official data collected by Wrap, the Government’s waste quango, reveals that 3.12million homes had to pay for garden waste to be collected by their councils in 2012/13. The English and Welsh councils which still offer a free service – two thirds of the total – collected green waste from 13million households with gardens, according to the latest figures. Mr Lewis said: ‘We believe that councils must not use residents as cash cows. People pay a £120-a-month council tax bill for services, including bins – they deserve a decent service in return.’ Several more councils have  abandoned free collections in recent months. Birmingham City Council, Britain’s largest local authority, introduced a £35 charge for garden waste collection in February. Just 37,000 of the city’s 400,000 households have signed up for the service, and residents report that many are dumping waste in the street instead. Liberal Democrat John Hemming, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, is considering legal action against the authority. He accused the Labour-run council of ‘failing in its duty’ to the city. ‘It’s a complete mess,’ he said. ‘They should reverse the decision on the green waste tax.’ Local authorities blame Whitehall budget cuts for the garden waste fees, which come on top of hefty council tax bills. File picture . The council has had to resort to warning of a £2,500 fine for anyone who dumps garden waste on the street. Labour councillor James McKay, who is in charge of waste services at the council, told a local newspaper: ‘It was always going to be difficult to take away a service which had been free. ‘We can’t continue to provide the same level of service when our controllable budget has been cut by two-thirds.’ Liberal Democrat-run South Gloucestershire Council, which introduced a £36 yearly charge in March, estimates the scheme will generate £1.2million a year. However Ian Adams, a Conservative on the council, predicts it will damage the environment as more residents simply put garden waste in their bin for ordinary rubbish rather than it being recycled. Charges also vary wildly across the country. Hart Council in Hampshire charges up to £120 a year for a fortnightly service, while Harlow Council in Essex charges £85. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said councils had increased their recycling from 13 per cent in 2001 to 43 per cent today, adding: ‘It is for individual councils to decide if the costs of additional green waste collection should be met by all council taxpayers or those that use the additional service.’
collections. It is feared that many householders garden waste to landfill – or dump it in the authorities blame Whitehall budget cuts for the