HOUSEHOLDERS in West Oxfordshire will have to pay for the collection of garden waste from next year.

People in the district wishing to have garden waste collected from their home on a fortnightly basis will have to pay £30 a year for the service, from April 1.

Cabinet members on West Oxfordshire District Council voted to approve the adoption of the policy at a meeting in Witney on Wednesday.

The idea was introduced in June this year after a decision by Oxfordshire County Council to cease paying Garden Waste credits to the district council. Money raised from the charge will be used to fund the cost of collection.

Speaking at yesterday's meeting, councillor Henry Howard said that introducing the charge was a must during the period of austerity.

He said: "I'm very supportive of this move. From a financial point of view there is no way we cannot go along with this.

"The chancellor told us that the first five years of austerity would be a cake walk compared to the second five years. We are now in that second five years and we are being squeezed.

"We cannot afford not to do this."

He stressed that residents who already have garden waste bins need not apply for a new one.

Each household signing up to the scheme will be given a licence which will be fixed onto their garden waste bin or sack.

Payments for licences must be made in advance in full, initially covering the period from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018.

Wheeled bins will be provided free of charge to those that do not already have them, or sacks when a bin is not appropriate.

An information campaign will be launched by the district council in the new year, and residents will be invited to subscribe to the new service from the end of January when the payment system goes live.

Leader of the council James Mills said that other district councils had helped inform the council's decision on garden waste and recycling.

He said: “It’s important to understand that, due to our partnership with other district councils, we have learned a lot of lessons, particularly from Cotswold District Council.

“If we look at national recycling rankings we are up there. Both South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are very near the top – and they are both charge.

“If there are any concerns around that we can look at others who have gone before us.”

For more information on garden waste collections and how to sign up visit bit.ly/2gNMSzt.

If you require a free garden waste bin at your household call the council on 01993 861000.