Garden waste charges grow council's income

NORTH Tyneside Council has raked in over £950,000 since introducing its new charge on garden waste collections.

- AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

A Freedom of Information request submitted to the local authority has revealed the new £30 per annum charge for garden waste collections in North Tyneside has brought in £952,087 to the council's coffers.

The council also disclosed that the total number of garden waste subscriptions, which needed to be paid for by November 30 last year, stands at 31,341.

The income and number of subscriptions has surpassed previous council estimates, with council reports approximating around 22,000 take-ups and an additional £660,000 of income. The fee was agreed by council bosses in July 2024 as one of several measures to help plug the authority's then-£19m funding gap.