North Yorkshire Council is proposing an increase in the opt-in garden waste collection charge from £49 to £52 for the 2026 season, which runs from March to November.

The council says the increase is necessary to keep the service accessible and support essential frontline services.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said: “The increases are needed so that we can continue to provide a valuable service to residents without compromising on standards, while keeping costs down as much as we can.”

Under the plans, the new £52 fee would still be below the regional average of £56.92.

The council estimates that the boost would generate approximately £314,560 in additional revenue.

Councillors will also be asked to increase the charges for new or replacement rubbish and recycling bins from £35 to £37.50, estimated to save around £100,000.

A developer or resident may need to purchase a new bin if the property currently doesn’t have any, if it is missing, lost or stolen, or if they are a holiday let owner and their property changes from business rates to council tax rated.

If bins are damaged or fail, except in the case of deliberate misuse, they will be repaired or replaced free of charge.

There is no charge for the delivery of boxes or sacks, where they are still used, and charges will not apply as part of any roll-out of new containers to an area or round. 

Karl Battersby said: “We have thought carefully about how much we should increase these charges by. We want to be fair to the customer and, if they are set too high, it could affect demand.

“We believe increasing charges by inflation plus £1.50 for garden waste and £1 for new and replacement bins rounded to the nearest 50p is a fair amount, with the additional income vital in protecting our frontline services.” 

A private meeting is scheduled for Friday, 24 October at 9.30 am, when Karl Battersby and Cllr Richard Foaster, Executive Member for Managing our Environment, will review the proposals.