Households in Lichfield and Burntwood have been told they won’t pay a higher price to have their brown bins emptied in 2020.

Lichfield District Council says the annual cost will remain at this year’s price of £36 for the regular garden waste collections.

The local authority said the fee will see brown bins emptied “a maximum” of 23 times a year.

Councillor Liz Little, Cabinet member for recycling and waste, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who signed up to our garden waste service in the last year.

“We’re now reminding all our residents that they will need to sign up again if they would like their brown bins emptied in 2020.

“It costs the same regardless of when you sign up during the year, and your annual subscription will always end in December. This is why it makes sense to register before the first collection in 2020, so you can get a full year’s worth of collections.”

People can sign up for the 2020 garden waste service at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin or by calling 0345 002 0022.

“It is important to remember that your brown bin will not be emptied in 2020 unless you are signed up and have displayed your new sticker on your garden waste bin,” Cllr Little added.

“We are also encouraging anyone who signs up not to cover up their 2019 sticker with their new one, so our crews know to continue to empty your garden waste bin for the rest of 2019.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Emily
4 years ago

Why do we have to pay it in the first place? This is stealth tax, dreamed up by the biggest moron in LDC.

Jen
4 years ago

Why shouldn’t we pay. You’ll be expecting them to clean your windows for free next. Insulting staff with names just magnifies the ignorance of people who don’t know the full facts. You have never had to pay before for garden waste to be collected as it was offered as a free service. One criticism is that it costs the same whenever we join, it should be pro rata.

Emily
4 years ago

Jen – you’re blissfully wrong. It was previously provided under the guise of Council Tax. Is that too difficult for you to understand? Of course it wasn’t “free” – don’t be so naive!. This is the thin end of the wedge….next LDC will be making additional charges for emptying Recycling bins. You, no doubt, will be perfectly happy with that though.

Emily
4 years ago

Oh and Jen, you may wish to educate yourself by reading the following link, which illustrates that the council actually make a considerable profit from the scheme.

https://medium.com/@something_phil/cowardice-in-lichfield-870e2aed5cac

LDC are able to shout that Council Tax doesn’t increase very much etc., but this is only because services that were previously covered by Council Tax are now an additional charge – so we’re paying the same amount for less services. How can you be “ok” with that?!

Honestly, the apathy shown by some people is staggering.

Jen
4 years ago

Thank you Emily for your knee jerk reaction, however, I stated facts. LDC is a business and therefore, like any other, needs to make a profit. The details of everything that is covered (or not) by council tax payments is not known by everyone. SCC take most of the council tax payments and an explanation of where our money goes is included in the leaflet which accompanies the bills. A chart shows the proportion of monies going to various authorities and organisations. Information is also available on the website. After reading the content of the link you kindly provided, I can see that this is another person name calling so the integrity of the author must be questioned. Please be assured that I am not apathetic where LDC are concerned, quite the opposite. I would obviously not be happy with a charge being made for something already listed as being covered by council tax payments. If you can therefore find evidence of garden waste collection being listed as included in the payments to LDC, I will apologise for my obvious misinformation. I suggest submitting an FOI to obtain relevant data. Have a good day.

Emily
4 years ago

So Jen, to clarify, how do you think the council previously paid for the collection of Brown Bins prior to charging for them? I’m curious….? It was never “free”…was it? The money came from somewhere…

Now – if you look at the 2019 council tax expenditure, one of the expenditures of council tax is listed as:

“Clean, green and welcoming place to live
Waste collection, recycling, pools, open spaces, street cleansing, planning policy, housing benefits, housing strategy & advice“

What’s garden waste if not “waste collection”?

Emily
4 years ago

Oh Jen – your lack of intellect is depressing. All of the information you need is in the public domain. It’s not for me to persuade you l. At the end of the day, if you are happy to pay the brown bin tax, then pay it. Just don’t expect the more cerebral readers to pay it so willingly.

Jen
4 years ago

Domestic waste and garden waste are different Emily, hence domestic waste being included in the list. Also offered is bulky waste collection, which is also charged separately. I wouldn’t have thought intelligence was required to understand that, however, I didn’t realise either that a cerebral reader was of the same intellect as those who call others morons. You are quoting your own opinions instead of facts. Yes the service was paid for previously by us through the Council, although not listed as included in council tax payments, now we have to pay separately if we want the service to remain. It’s quite simple to grasp really. Our tax payments cover many areas, including schools and education, where I obtained many qualifications proving my intellect and find it not necessary to insult those whom I do not know. I do not need to read the information in the public domain as I already have the knowledge of the facts, but thanks for letting me know that the public are aware of such areas of information, I’ll be sure to pass it on. Happy gardening.

Nodge
4 years ago

I only ever used the brown bin to get rid of the huge amount of leaves that fall onto my land from LDC’s numerous surrounding trees at the end of summer. Of course, I’m happy to continue keeping my garden clean every autumn, but these leaves now get dumped by the multiple wheelbarrow load down the path onto LDC’s own land. I won’t charge for this return of property. You’re welcome.

Traci
4 years ago

I don’t have children, I don’t use the libraries and I don’t claim any benefits. Am I eligible for a Council Tax reduction?

Mike
4 years ago

No you need a football team of kids for that

Hedwig
4 years ago

Yes Traci, if you have single occupancy, 25% discount. ?

Mr K Dixon
4 years ago

Recycled easte should bring in income for the council as should garden waste? So why not charge for the black bins that goes to landfill after all the council have to pay out for that?

Hedwig
4 years ago

We do pay for the black bins to be collected Mr Dixon, through our council tax, so LDC make money from us on that. ☺

LemonySnicket
4 years ago

Hedwig – expect to be paying for black bins to be collected in a few years too. Some people would welcome that though, it seems.

Damien Hamilton
4 years ago

@Emily, sadly this apathy towards being taxed more and more is just typical of the current electorate, especially in Lichfield. Other parts of the country are quite vocal about it. What I find utterly confusing is that – as the article points out, Local Auth make money from recycling garden waste, as it’s sold on as compost etc. So, on the basis that was once a “free” service which also made money for the LA…..why are we now paying for the service? Quite a lot of other LAs provide the service for free – as they always have done??

Also, as the article states, taxing residents to collect garden waste is deterring people from using the service – and those people are simply using their grey “landfill” bins for garden waste….which then produces methane?!? How is this environmentally friendly or responsible?!

@Jen – do you work for the LA??? Lol?!!

Damien Hamilton
4 years ago

Sorry – PC issues!!

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49085346

Wilbur
4 years ago

I refuse to pay the brown bin tax. It’s a complete rip off. However, what do you expect from a council that has wasted millions of pounds of tax payers money on the friarsgate fiasco. Inept doesn’t even come close to describing it.

NB
4 years ago

Good to see at least some of the electorate are wise to LDC’s Brown Bin tax to fill the Friarsgate hole. How many £millions was it again? ?

John Griffin
4 years ago

Officially £7-8mill overall estimates £15mil.

Phil
4 years ago

Either way you look at it, this Council has time and time again shown itself to be not fit for purpose. I do wish the Lichfield electorate would open their eyes to this. In the last 24 months how many Conservative councillors have been found to have acted inappropriately? Even the ex leader was disciplined! He has been replaced by Pullen and his wife (both councillors).

Who’d have thought being a councillor would be so lucrative eh?

Tony
4 years ago

Lichfield residents are a soft touch, and the council know it. Lichfield is a fairly affluent area, and a few pound here and there on “additional services” once provided for free is never going to really raise an eyebrow – and the council know that. It’s the same with downsizing the library and attempting to close the Friary Leisure Centre……the Council think people will just “tut” and forget about it.

They are taking us for mugs.

We have a Conservative council and, if they defend such actions as “our budgets are being slashed so we need to generate more revenue”, then I suggest you have a word with your Conservative MP…………

Oh hang on – he’s probably too busy with his reality TV career, calling women “twats”, or threatening to punch females in the throat.

You those of you reading this who think I’ve made those last bits up…….I only wish that was the truth.

Steve
4 years ago

@tony. Don’t forget racist tweets (too busy in a meeting to look at the picture apparently)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44818546

Tony
4 years ago

@steve How does a city like Lichfield (middle class, fairly well educated), end up with an imbecile like Fabricant as an MP?! I mean, I understand the mechanics obviously but, what is going through peoples’ minds when they place the X on the ballot paper?? It must be nothing more than “well, my dad always voted Tory so…..”.

And this most definitely isn’t an anti story rant. I’ve voted Tory in previous elections. I’m just staggered that ANYONE could think Michael Fabricant is a decent chap?

Mike
4 years ago

How is it he is playing with his phone and tweeting this kind of stuff whilst being in a government meeting. Just shows as long as they pay me I couldn’t care a monkeys

Steve
4 years ago

@tony. I totally agree.

I used vote Conservative. I cannot bring myself to support Fab (hangs my head. I used to vote for him). I have met a number of politicians over the years. Some, I disagree with fundamentally on their views. They were however, fantastic local MP’s. There was nothing, they would not get involved in.

In Lichfield, the Conservative District Council blames the Conservative County Council who blame the Conservative government. Fab just sits there saying “nothing to do with me” and “Andy Street, isn’t he fantastic…..”

It all stinks. Sadly the local electorate will still vote blue. The local Conservative Party should replace him. But, they will not.

He has the excuses of a 3 year old and locals take it all to be true.

Look at his use of the word twat:

In 2013 he used it about Russell Brand

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/national/10765524.mp-makes-jibe-at-comedian-brand/

In 2018 – he didn’t know the meaning of the word

//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2018/05/07/lichfield-mp-keen-to-meet-burntwood-teenager-to-apologise-for-calling-her-a-complete-twat-on-twitter/

Racist Tweets

I was busy and I didn’t look at the picture.

Flossy
4 years ago

70p per week is good value. Many other areas are already £50 pa inc Brum!!!!!

Mandy S
4 years ago

@Jen….you do not represent my or lots of other peoples view on this. YOU may be happy to pay for this once “free” service, but most people are not. How can you be happy to pay it when you know as well I do, the district council have wasted millions of pounds of local tax payers money on Friarsgate?! I’d be more inclined to support this if the council were genuinely strapped for cash because of finding, but the real reason it’s strapped for cash is because of it’s (and I’m being kind here) Chuckle Brother-esque approach to managing its own funds.

Last time I checked, Friarsgate is STILL boarded up…despite the council insisting that local RATES & TAX PAYING businesses had to close. That was 2.5 years ago…and STILL it’s boarded up!!!

Let’s just hope and prey that the Council’s approach of throwing more of our money at it, by employing project managers in-house, AND appointing an external organisation to come up with a plan for the site, pays off.

So in summary, while you Jen maybe perfectly happy to accept the financial cost of such massive failings by the district council, I and many others like me, will not.

Del
4 years ago

@Flossy – MANY OTHER COUNCILS COLLECT GARDEN WASTE FOR FREE.

To be fair though, those are typically councils that haven’t wasted in excess of 10 MILLION POUNDS of local taxpayers money on a completely mismanaged Friarsgate project.