Residents who use the Isle of Wight Council’s green waste collection service will see a price rise from 2022.
Subscriptions will rise by a third – from £72 per year, to £96. It would mean an increase from £6 to £8 per month, or an extra £24 per year. The price will be held for two years.
In 2017, it cost just £60 to get your garden waste collected.
Hastings: Would ‘risk more than we gain’
At Wednesday night’s corporate scrutiny committee, chair Cllr Steve Hastings (Con) questioned how many Islanders would stop using the scheme over what he called a ‘dramatic’ price increase.
He said it would ‘risk more than we gain’.
Bacon: Benefits would outweigh the negatives
Cllr Jonathan Bacon (Ind Alliance), environment and waste cabinet member, said there is always a risk of losing customers when prices rise. He argued the benefits would outweigh the negatives, saying more Islanders would be able to sign up.
Cllr Richard Quigley (Lab) said the service was not ‘essential’ service and argues the price increase would take considerable pressure off other services.
Garratt: Consider poverty when making decisions
At Thursday night’s Cabinet meeting, Cllr Andrew Garratt (LibDem) explained that people in poverty have gardens and have a need to dispose of their garden waste.
He raised the impact of poverty that a decision on this motion would make and requested that in future discussions Cabinet members insist upon a discussion on the impact of poverty and people in poverty.
He said,
“For many of us a couple of pounds a month, may seem a fairly small amount, but those of us who have heard from those living in poverty will know that even small amounts like this can have a significant impact on their household budgets.”
Reassurance that poverty is a consideration
Cllr Bacon assured Cllr Garratt that poverty has been part of the consideration and has been discussed in some depth between the Cabinet and the council staff.
He went on to say that as well as considering the impact on young people and future generations, as well as climate, environment and Unesco Biosphere impact of any decision, Cllr Bacon said poverty would be added to that list of considerations.
Plans for a third lorry
In all, 10,450 Islanders use the green waste collection scheme and growth in popularity means a second lorry had been purchased.
The report says 1,200 people are on the waiting list to join the scheme. It argues the price hike would help shore it up financially. There are also plans for a third vehicle to collect green waste.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
