Blackpool Council faces a decline in subscriptions for its garden waste collection service due to its high annual fee. The council proposes to freeze the fee and run a campaign to increase participation.
Blackpool Council is facing a decline in residents subscribing to its garden waste collection service due to its high annual fee. The £45 charge, in addition to the council tax, is one of the highest in Lancashire, compared to £36 in Fylde and £40 in Wyre. Enveco, Blackpool Council's waste services company, reports a £500,000 deficit in income from the green waste collection and warns that subscriptions are at their lowest levels since the introduction of charging in 2016/17.
The report, set to be presented to the Climate Change and Environment Scrutiny Committee on January 30, suggests freezing the charge for the next financial year and launching a campaign to attract more subscribers. The report states that the £45 annual fee is at the higher end of charging across Lancashire, leading to a significant drop in residents using the service. While the service still generates enough revenue to cover operational costs, the reduced residual income impacts the service's contribution to council savings and budgetary pressures. To address this, the council proposes to maintain the current fee and explore promotional strategies to increase participation. When the scheme launched, it attracted over 10,000 subscriptions and generated around £250,000 in revenue, which covered operational costs.The report also highlights the rising maintenance costs of alley gates across Blackpool, which provide security and prevent fly-tipping. While installation costs were initially covered by ward budgets, Enveco states there is no dedicated council budget for ongoing maintenance and replacements. However, the company is actively seeking alternative funding sources to ensure the continued upkeep of these gates. The council maintains 84km of back alleys, meaning it is responsible for their upkeep, while over 2,000 other back alleys and passageways totaling 69km are not adopted and are considered private property. Despite this, Enveco states it supports residents in keeping these areas tidy
BLACKPOOL COUNCIL GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION SUBSCRIPTIONS FEE INCREASE ALLEY GATE MAINTENANCE
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