RESIDENTS in Royal Wootton Bassett may have to pay a new charge for the collection of their green waste after a consultation for how the service is delivered closed.

More than 15,000 Wiltshire Council residents took part in the discussion, which got underway in July, the highest number of responses the council has ever received for a single consultation.

Since February 2012, garden waste has been collected for free by Wiltshire Council from the kerbside in the town every fortnight, but during the summer the council asked residents to share their views on three new proposals to change the existing service in a bid to cut costs and reduce spending.

The proposals included: a three-month suspension of the kerbside garden waste service with no collections taking place in December, January and February; a five-month suspension of the kerbside garden waste service with no collections taking place in November, December, January, February and March; or the introduction of a chargeable kerbside garden waste collection service of £35 per bin each year instead of the current service.

Toby Sturgis, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for waste, said: “The huge number of responses we received demonstrates what an important issue this is for local residents. I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to respond.

“All the feedback is extremely valuable as we look to make a decision that helps us make the savings required to help ensure the council can continue to deliver its key priorities.”

The responses are now being collated and considered by officers before a final decision on what option the council will formally put in place will be discussed and debated at a future cabinet meeting.

David Woollett, a 66-year-old keen gardner who has lived in the town for the past 40 years, said earlier this summer he would probably opt to pay the charge for kerbside collection.

He said: “If it came to choosing whether to pay for the service or to cut it then I would reluctantly pay, especially in a small garden – it just gets really difficult without it.

“It’s at least encouraging to think that people are telling the council what they think and it will hopefully mean that the council responds to their wishes rather than just doing what they think is best for everyone.

“I have been on lots of different committees in the past and I think there are some different things which concern people.

“In the office it might be the tea facilities or the parking and for residents I think bins are one of the big ones, as well as street lighting and pot holes.”