An Essex council’s decision to increase green waste recycling charges by 25 per cent has been slammed as “immoral taxation” by one of its own members.

At a meeting on December 14, Maldon District Council unveiled its revised fees and charges schedule for 2024/25 as part of its annual review.

Green bin recycling charges were highlighted as increasing from £56 to £70 per annum, in line with the approximate 10 per cent rise in inflation.

With figures provided to LDRS, Maldon District councillor Adrian Fluker said that roughly half of all households in the Maldon district subscribe to the council’s green wheelie bin service at the current cost of £56 per year, which generates an income of approximately £768,488.

The cost to the council of running the service, Cllr Fluker said, is around £400,000, meaning that a surplus of roughly £370,000 is currently achieved.

If the number of subscribing households was to remain at £768,488 once the new £70 per year charge is implemented, this surplus would rise dramatically to £560,000.

Addressing those present at the December 14 meeting, Mr Fluker said: “The Garden Waste service is already providing a massive surplus of cash, so to increase the green bin fee by an inflation busting 25 per cent is no more than an immoral taxation on recycling.

“One argument put forward to justify the increase was that we were cheaper than other councils and provided a better service and that even though we were making a massive profit we should still increase the current charge by 25 per cent.

“In reality, it is no more than the council grabbing money through a green tax levy and then using it to prop up its general finances…

"The council needs to stop increasing fees disproportionally and start making significant savings through efficiencies, otherwise subscribers to the green garden waste service and all our other customers will soon be paying their fees and charges to a new local authority based outside of the area.”

Mr Fluker went on to say that the fee increase had left many residents unhappy, and that his email inbox was “jammed full of complaints”, with many questioning cancelling their green wheelie bin subscriptions and instead resorting to putting their garden recycling in the same bin as their household waste.

He called upon residents to join him in a self-devised campaign called ‘Lid them know you’re not happy’ in order to try to convince the council to backtrack on adopting the new charge, during which Mr Fluker advised they should leave the lids of their green garden waste bins open on collection days “until this crazy anti-recycling decision is reversed“.

Council leader Richard Siddall said, “The cost of the subscription waste collection service remains overall, one of the cheapest in the county, as we collect green waste for 46 weeks of the year.

“Costs from our contractor Suez have risen, and therefore the council has had to increase charges to match these increased costs.

"This is necessary to ensure the same level of service can be maintained. We recognise this increase will have an impact on our customers and hope that they agree for a year round service at a cost of £1.52 per collection remains good value for money

“We are very proud of our waste and recycling service, that is producing some of the highest recycling rates in the country, and we need to make sure we balance the appropriate charges with maintaining that excellent service.

“All local authorities are facing challenges at present, and a Local Government Association survey recently highlighted that one in five councils are at financial risk. 

“Maldon District Council has to produce a balanced budget that enables it to continue to deliver good quality services within a very tight financial envelope. 

"Green waste charges are part of the overall 2024/25 fees and charges schedule agreed at the council meeting on December 14, and these will ensure that the council continues to remain financially viable.  

“We will continue to look at ways to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and maintain good quality services to residents, to ensure that the council is sustainable for both now and in the long term.”