MOVES to bring back free garden waste collections must be 'fully funded', town halls have warned as figures show two thirds of councils now charge for the service.

Warrington is in its third year of charging for the service, which started again earlier this month.

It costs £35 for the year.

The Government's new waste strategy has promised to consult on whether the millions of English households with gardens should have access to free collections of their grass cuttings, twigs, plant and hedge clippings.

Composting garden waste could cut carbon emissions, avoid landfill costs and generate extra revenue from producing compost, the strategy says.

But the Local Government Association (LGA) said any changes to waste services that put more of a cost burden on councils already under huge financial pressure need to be fully funded.

The warning comes as research by the Press Association shows that, of 326 English councils which pick up rubbish and recycling from homes, 212 of them (65 per cent) charge for a garden waste collection service.

A small number of councils, such as in central London with little demand for the service, do not offer a garden waste collection, which is not a statutory requirement, though some may collect it with other rubbish.

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Most of those who charge ask for an annual subscription for picking up a garden waste bin or bags, with yearly costs averaging around £46, the research shows.

Prices range from £22 a year in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, to £96 a year in Harlow, Essex.

The charge in Warrington is £35.

Martin Tett, environment spokesman for the LGA, said: "Some councils were able to provide free garden waste services when they were first introduced but are now having to charge to reflect the growing cost of providing a collection service.

"Money from garden waste collection charges goes back into maintaining the service."

And he warned: "Any changes to waste services and additional cost burdens on councils, who are already under enormous financial pressure, need to be fully funded."

He also said councils will have lost almost 60p out of every £1 between 2010 and 2020, and it was "vital" the forthcoming Government spending review fully funded the local services communities relied on.

A spokesman for the Environment Department said: "Free garden waste collections would not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions through less garden waste being sent to landfill, but would also see more waste composted, which is cheaper for local authorities than landfill disposal.

"Subject to consultation, we intend to have free garden waste collections in place from 2023, with councils being funded appropriately to deliver this."

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THE FULL LIST OF CHARGES IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Adur District Council £80

Allerdale Borough Council Free

Amber Valley Borough Council £40

Arun District Council £88.22

Ashfield District Council £28

Ashford Borough Council £37.50

Aylesbury Vale District Council £45

Babergh District Council £55

Barking and Dagenham LB £40

Barnet LB Free

Barnsley MBC Free

Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council £40

Basildon District Council Free

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council £47

Bassetlaw District Council £30

Bath and North East Somerset Council £45.90

Bedford Free

Bexley LB £38

Birmingham City Council £40

Blaby District Council £36

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council £30

Blackpool Borough Council £35

Bolsover District Council Free

Bolton MBC Free

Boston Borough Council £30

Bournemouth Borough Council £43

Bracknell Forest Borough Council £50

Bradford City MDC (MBC) £37

Braintree District Council Free

Breckland Council £44

Brent LB £60

Brentwood Borough Council £51.50

Brighton and Hove Council £52

Bristol City Council £32

Broadland District Council £53.50

Bromley LB £60

Bromsgrove District Council £45

Broxbourne Borough Council £42

Broxtowe Borough Council £33

Burnley Borough Council £30

Bury MBC Free

Calderdale MBC £42

Cambridge City Council Free

Camden LB £75

Cannock Chase Council Free

Canterbury City Council Free

Carlisle City Council Free

Castle Point Borough Council £32

Central Bedfordshire Free

Charnwood Borough Council £45

Chelmsford Borough Council Free

Cheltenham Borough Council £45

Cherwell District Council Free

Cheshire East Free

Cheshire West and Chester Free

Chesterfield Borough Council Free

Chichester District Council £61.50

Chiltern District Council £39

Chorley Borough Council £30

Christchurch Borough Council £50.50

City of London No garden waste collection*

Colchester Borough Council Free

Copeland Borough Council Free

Corby Borough Council Free

Cornwall £41.25

Cotswold District Council £30

Council of the Isles of Scilly No garden waste collection*

County Durham £35

Coventry City Council Free

Craven District Council £36

Crawley Borough Council £58.90

Croydon LB £61.50

Dacorum Borough Council Free

Darlington Borough Council £35

Dartford Borough Council £40

Daventry District Council £36

Derby City Council Free

Derbyshire Dales District Council Free

Doncaster MBC Free

Dover District Council £46

Dudley MBC Free

Ealing LB £75

East Cambridgeshire District Council Free

East Devon District Council £48

East Dorset District Council £50.50

East Hampshire District Council £68

East Hertfordshire District Council Free

East Lindsey District Council £40

East Northamptonshire Council £55

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Free

East Staffordshire Borough Council Free

Eastbourne Borough Council £52

Eastleigh Borough Council £38

Eden District Council Free

Elmbridge Borough Council £45

Enfield LB Free

Epping Forest Borough Council Free

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council £61.50

Erewash Borough Council Free

Exeter City Council £46

Fareham Borough Council Free

Fenland District Council £40

Folkestone and Hythe District Council £47

Forest Heath District Council £43

Forest of Dean District Council £32

Fylde Borough Council £30

Gateshead MBC £33

Gedling Borough Council £36

Gloucester City Council £44

Gosport Borough Council £60

Gravesham Borough Council £43

Great Yarmouth Borough Council £45*

Greenwich LB Free

Guildford Borough Council £38

Hackney LB Free

Halton Borough Council £32

Hambleton District Council £35

Hammersmith and Fulham LB No garden waste collection, subsidised home composting bins*

Harborough District Council £40

Haringey LB £75

Harlow District Council £96

Harrogate Borough Council £39

Harrow LB £75

Hart District Council £70.86

Hartlepool Borough Council Free

Hastings Borough Council £66

Havant Borough Council £64

Havering LB £55

Herefordshire Council Five green sacks for £3.80, collected and sent to landfill

Hertsmere Borough Council Free

High Peak Borough Council Free

Hillingdon LB Free

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council £24

Horsham District Council £39

Hounslow LB £50

Huntingdonshire District Council Free

Hyndburn Borough Council £30

Ipswich Borough Council Free

Isle of Wight Council £60

Islington LB Free

Kettering Borough Council Free

Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council £54

Kingston-upon-Hull City Council Free

Kirklees MBC £37.50

Knowsley MBC Free

Lambeth LB £61.50

Lancaster City Council £40

Leeds City Council MBC Free

Leicester City Council £51

Lewes District Council £70

Lewisham LB £80

Lichfield District Council £36

Lincoln City Council £36

Liverpool City Council Free

Luton Borough Council Free

Maidstone Borough Council £37

Maldon District Council £46

Malvern Hills District Council £77.50

Manchester City Council MBC Free

Mansfield District Council £30

Medway Borough Council Free

Melton Borough Council £57

Mendip District Council £56.90

Merton LB £70

Mid Devon District Council £49

Mid Suffolk District Council £55

Mid Sussex District Council £65

Middlesbrough Borough Council Free

Milton Keynes Council Free

Mole Valley District Council £56

New Forest District Council £34

Newark and Sherwood District Council £35

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council £36

Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council MBC £40

Newham LB Free

North Devon District Council £36

North Dorset District Council £50.50

North East Derbyshire District Council Free

North East Lincolnshire Council £36

North Hertfordshire District Council £40

North Kesteven District Council £30

North Lincolnshire Council Free

North Norfolk District Council £52*

North Somerset Council One-off registration fee of £25

North Tyneside Council Free

North Warwickshire Borough Council Free

North West Leicestershire District Council Free

Northampton Borough Council Free

Northumberland £40

Norwich City Council £48

Nottingham City Council Free

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council £40

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council £35

Oldham MBC Free

Oxford City Council £52

Pendle Borough Council £30

Peterborough City Council £45

Plymouth City Council Free

Poole Borough Council £42.95

Portsmouth City Council £42

Preston Borough Council £35

Purbeck District Council £50.50

Reading Borough Council £60

Redbridge LB Free

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Free

Redditch Borough Council £45

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council £65

Ribble Valley Borough Council Free

Richmond upon Thames LB £62

Richmondshire District Council £22

Rochdale MBC Free

Rochford District Council Free

Rossendale Borough Council £35

Rother District Council £35

Rotherham MBC £39

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea £66.30

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames £72

Rugby Borough Council £40

Runnymede Borough Council £56

Rushcliffe Borough Council £35

Rushmoor Borough Council £39

Rutland County Council £35

Ryedale District Council £38

Salford City Council MBC Free

Sandwell MBC Free

Scarborough Borough Council £33

Sedgemoor District Council £56.90

Sefton MBC Free

Selby District Council Free

Sevenoaks District Council £47

Sheffield City Council £51.50

Shropshire Free

Slough Borough Council Free

Solihull MBC Free

South Bucks District Council £40

South Cambridgeshire District Council Free

South Derbyshire District Council Free

South Gloucestershire Council £30

South Hams District Council Free

South Holland District Council £49

South Kesteven District Council £35

South Lakeland District Council Free

South Norfolk Council £55

South Northamptonshire District Council Free

South Oxfordshire District Council £40.50

South Ribble Borough Council £30

South Somerset District Council £56.90

South Staffordshire Council Free

South Tyneside MBC £32

Southampton City Council £50

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council £54.91

Southwark LB Free

Spelthorne Borough Council £56

St Albans City and District Council Free

St Edmundsbury Borough Council £43

St Helens MBC £36

Stafford Borough Council Free

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Free

Stevenage Borough Council Free

Stockport MBC Free

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Free

Stoke-on-Trent City Council Free

Stratford-on-Avon District Council Free

Stroud District Council £45

Suffolk Coastal District Council £43

Sunderland City Council £32.50

Surrey Heath Borough Council £40

Sutton LB £62.73

Swale Borough Council £35

Swindon Borough Council £50

Tameside MBC Free

Tamworth Borough Council £36

Tandridge District Council £57.64

Taunton Deane Borough Council £56.90

Teignbridge District Council £40

Telford and Wrekin Council Free

Tendring District Council £50

Test Valley Borough Council £32.50

Tewkesbury Borough Council £48

Thanet District Council £51

Three Rivers District Council £45

Thurrock Council Free

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Free

Torbay Council One-off collection charge of £12 for up to 8 bags, £1 each additional bag

Torridge District Council £35

Tower Hamlets LB Free

Trafford MBC £40

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council £52 (from September 2019)

Uttlesford District Council £45

Vale of White Horse District Council £40.50

Wakefield City MDC Free

Walsall MBC Free

Waltham Forest LB Free

Wandsworth LB Free

Warrington Borough Council £35

Warwick District Council Free

Watford Borough Council Free

Waveney District Council £43

Waverley Borough Council £60

Wealden District Council Free

Wellingborough Borough Council Free

Welwyn Hatfield Council £35

West Berkshire District Council £50

West Devon Borough Council £40

West Dorset District Council £50.50

West Lancashire District Council £30

West Lindsey District Council £35

West Oxfordshire District Council £30

West Somerset District Council £56.90

Westminster City Council No garden waste collection*

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council £50.50

Wigan MBC Free

Wiltshire £50

Winchester City Council Free

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council £36

Wirral MBC £40

Woking Borough Council £45

Wokingham Council £60

Wolverhampton MBC £35

Worcester City Council £57.50

Worthing Borough Council £80

Wychavon District Council £48

Wycombe District Council Free

Wyre Borough Council £30

Wyre Forest District Council £48.50

York City Council Free