Have your say on the future of kerbside garden waste collections in North Northants

01 March 2022

People are being asked for their views on the harmonisation on kerbside garden waste collections in North Northamptonshire.

At a meeting last month, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive approved a proposal to go out to consultation on providing a consistent service across the area.

Following local government reorganisation last year, the new unitary council has inherited different approaches to the fortnightly kerbside garden waste collections from the previous local authorities.

In Corby and Kettering, the service is currently provided all year at no extra charge, whilst in Wellingborough, it operates between March and November with no additional cost for users of the service. In East Northamptonshire, the year-round scheme has a £55 annual subscription charge, paid by users of the service.

Now that we are one council across the North Northants area, we need to ensure there is a consistent service that is fair to all, which is not the case at present.

It’s important that we ask people for their views on this as it affects the majority of households in our area and certainly everyone who has a garden. This also gives us an opportunity to promote home composting, which we would like to encourage.

However we run the service, there is a cost, whether this is direct or indirect, therefore, one of the main questions is whether it is right that funding comes from general funds, i.e everyone’s council tax, or only from users of the service.Cllr Graham Lawman, the Council’s Executive member for Highways, Travel and Assets

It’s important we provide a consistent service for everyone and this project will ensure that is the case. Naturally we need to seek people’s views as it affects so many people across North Northants.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

To implement a harmonised kerbside garden waste service, the Council has some key options and considerations: 

• To determine which months of the year a kerbside collection service would operate 
• To establish whether a universal garden waste service would be provided to all residents without an additional charge
• To establish whether a subscription-based garden waste service would be provided to residents who wish to subscribe to the service and pay a subscription charge
• And, if a subscription charge was to be levied, the level of this charge

Have your say

• You can have your say by completing the online questionnaire
• Comments can also be made by post at: North Northamptonshire Council; Garden Waste Collection Service Consultation; Sheerness House; Meadow Road; Kettering; NN16 8TL

This consultation will run from 14 March until midnight on Sunday, 17 April 2022.

When the Executive decides on the future service delivery (expected to be in July), they will also consider the implementation timeframe, which could be as early as this Autumn.