Three-year freeze on garden waste collection fee

The cost of garden waste collections in Wolverhampton is to be frozen for three years, the city council has said.

After an increase to an annual total of £55, the authority said that fee would not go up until at least 2029 following feedback from residents.

Gardeners can take out a subscription for their own property or choose to share a bin with a neighbour to share costs, according to the council.

"By freezing the subscription price to just £2.61 per collection until 2029, we will continue to offer residents a direct garden waste collection and a trustworthy service," councillor Bhupinder Gakhal said.

The decision to increase the price to £55 in 2026 came after the council said it had made "only minor" changes to the cost in recent years.

The decision was taken due to the challenging financial climate and to reflect the cost to deliver what was classed a non-essential service, a spokesperson said.

Gakhal added: "We recognise that there was a price increase for the garden waste service this year, following many years of little change.

"However, following feedback from residents and a review of our finances, we have made the decision to freeze this subscription charge for the next three years.

"We know the garden waste collection service is popular in the city and this decision also reflects the theme of our 2026/27 budget which is focused on investing in what matters most to our residents."

More than 24,400 people have renewed their subscription for the fortnightly service that runs between February to December.

The decision is set to be approved at the council's cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

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