A new charge has been introduced by the council for the replacement of wheelie bins.

Oxford City Council will be charging householders £30 for replacing refuse and recycling bins which are up to 360 litres from Monday this week.

This new charge was agreed in the council’s budget for this year and will contribute towards the overall cost of the bin administration and the disposal of damaged bins.

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The council provides more than 1,000 replacement blue, green and brown wheelie bins each year and previously these replacements were provided free of charge.

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Free replacements were previously provided when householders said their bins were damaged beyond repair or stolen.

However, the council has said this is “no longer sustainable”, as each wheelie bin costs around £60 to procure and deliver.

The £30 charge is similar to the amount other councils across the country are planning to charge due to increased financial pressures.

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It was recently reported that Bristol City Council plans to introduce a charge of £28 per bin to replace lost or damaged wheelie bins.

Oxford City Council cabinet member for citizen focused services Nigel Chapman said: “We have avoided charging for replacement bins for as long as we could but have now had to pass on a proportion of the £60 cost.

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“So from April 24, we will charge £30 for new and replacement bins.

"Hopefully this move will also lead to a significant reduction in the number of replacement bins that are needed.”

The council has highlighted that there is no statutory duty for councils to deliver bins free of charge and they have pointed out that “many other local authorities are now levying a charge for new or replacement bins”.

Food waste bins will still be free of charge if a request for their replacement is made.

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The request for a new or replacement bin can be made through the Oxford City Council customer contact centre and payments are taken as a one-off charge.

The council has said it can take up to 30 working days for new bins to be delivered and they remain the property of the council despite the £30 charge.

It will not be possible for residents to collect the bins directly from the council.

The charge will be applicable to all freehold properties and for people living in a leasehold resident such as a private flat or social housing then their freeholder or managing agent will be responsible for buying the bins.

The council has warned that people should write their property name and number on their bins as this will “reduce the likelihood of bins being lost or stolen”.