The decision to charge Lichfield and Burntwood residents more than people in Tamworth for garden waste collections is down to differing budgets, council chiefs have explained.
Those living in the Lichfield District Council area will pay £40 a year – £4 more than those in the Tamworth Borough Council area.
Questions were raised over the difference in price given the brown bin collections are operated as part of the joint waste service run by the two authorities.
But Cllr Mike Wilcox, Lichfield District Council’s cabinet member for waste, recycling, ecology and climate change, said each had differing financial considerations when it came to setting the price for the garden waste service:
“While Lichfield District Council and Tamworth Borough Council deliver the service jointly, the cost of the subscription in each district is different.
“This is because the way each council funds the service and the amount each council charges is agreed by each individual council as part of a wider budget setting process. This takes into consideration other charges, savings and service decisions each council takes in order to balance their budget.
“With regards to the 2024 price increase in Lichfield District we have taken steps to make the service more self-sustaining by raising prices for the first time since it was launched.”
Cllr Mike Wilcox, Lichfield District Council
The charge for Lichfield District Council households – which has risen from £36 last year – will cover 23 fortnightly collections between the end of January and December.
Details on how to pay for the garden waste service are available at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin
