A SCHEME charging people for garden waste collections could cause the amount of waste going to landfill to rise, councillors and residents have warned.

Householders in West Oxfordshire who want to have regular green bin collections will have to start paying £30 per year from this weekend.

The authority has introduced the charge as a way of dealing with increased costs and reduced income.

But county councillor for Witney, Laura Price, told the Gazette she had been inundated with calls from residents raising concerns about the new subscription service – and said she feared barriers were preventing some people in the community from signing up.

She said: “One of the main issues I’ve been hearing about is elderly residents who haven’t been able to pay in cash. They’ve been going into the district council shop in Witney to pay and they’re just being directed online.

“We sometimes forget that there are a lot of people out there who like to manage their money with cash."

Ms Price also said there were complications around sheltered housing complexes and communal gardens.

She continued: “I do have concerns. In terms of recycling, to make people do the right thing you need to make it the easiest option - and rolling out a scheme that charges people just puts those barriers up.

“Some people will think: ‘I only cut my grass. It isn’t worth faffing about with. I’ll just put it in the bin.’ And it will push landfill rates up."

West Oxfordshire district councillors voted to adopt the policy in December following the withdrawal of green waste credits.

Residents have also said they are worried about the impact the changes will have.

Lisa Pittick, of Minster Lovell, said: “I think it’s terrible. We’ve had an increase in council tax and this green waste charge doesn’t really encourage people to recycle.

“I think we will see more fly tipping of garden waste.”

However, speaking on the Spotted Witney Facebook group, Becky Shaw Simms defended the scheme.

She said: “It's an optional extra for which we're given the choice to pay for collection (58p a week) or take to the tip for free. This is in line with other local authorities.

“We prefer to pay for convenience rather than driving to the tip with a car full of waste.”

To date, 22,000 licenses, which are attached to a garden waste bin or sack, have been issued.

Strategic director at West Oxfordshire District Council Christine Gore said: "We wanted to keep the charge as low as possible which is why payment is by card only. The majority of householders have found the process quick and simple and we have only had a few requests for payment by cash or cheque. We have supported those that have found it more challenging or they have been assisted by a friend or relative.

"With regard to complexities of people living in shared spaces, we are in touch with housing associations and letting agents and many have already purchased licences on behalf of their tenants.

"We have been the delighted with the high take-up which has exceeded our expectations and shows that the residents have not been put off by the charge and are still highly committed to recycling and composting.

"We know that some householders choosing not to pay have decided to compost their garden waste at home or take it to one of the council tips. Alternatively some are sharing the cost of a bin with a neighbour.

"We have consulted with neighbouring authorities who already operate a chargeable garden waste service and none have reported an increase in fly tipping that can be attributed to the charge, so we do not anticipate an issue. However, we will continue to monitor fly tipping levels across the district."

To sign up to the scheme or find out more visit bit.ly/2gNMSzt