RESIDENTS wanting to make use of the council’s garden waste service will have to fork out 25 per cent more next year.

The introduction of an annual charge for ‘green bins’ in 2014 proved to be a hugely contentious issue.

Initial plans for a £70 fee were slammed by the public in a consultation that attracted a record 6,000 response.

Under pressure, the administration of the day backed down and imposed a lesser charge of £40 a year instead.

But now it appears the cost is set to rise.

A 25 per cent increase will see residents who make use of the service handing over £50 a year for the privilege.

Coming on top of increases in council tax and alongside the offloading of services, some people are saying the extra £10 is a step too far.

One elderly homeowner said Swindon Borough Council was “taking the mick”.

Mavis Read, 73, from Haydon Wick, said: “They’re trying the old political trick of burying bad news while there is a fight going on on another front.

“I can live with having to put the tax up to look after old people, but it’s the sneaky way these other things are being added to the system I don’t like.”

Mavis lives with two other people, fellow pensioners aged 75 and 80. They have been part of the green waste scheme since the start.

“We’re elderly people so we can’t get to the tip every week with our rubbish,” she said.

“We’re already one of the highest areas in tax, we’ve got the increase from the borough and then the parish. We’re on fixed incomes so where do we find the money from?

“My next door neighbour is 84 - she’s going to have to find another tenner as well.”

Mavis said that when the green bins were first introduced, it proved tough for the council to get enough people to sign up for the service.

She saw flytipping of green waste increase but said over time people resigned themselves to paying the charge.

But now she fears this latest increase may make them think again and return to dumping their green waste.

Keith Williams, the cabinet member for StreetSmart, said: “The council’s garden waste service has been running for the past three years and more than 15,000 households now subscribe to the service.

“During that time we have kept the price the same, but, unfortunately, higher operational costs, increasing demand for the service, inflation and higher treatment costs made a price review essential in order to ensure the continued viability of the service.

“The revised price was agreed by cabinet last October.

“We believe the service remains extremely good value as each collection costs just £2 and saves households the trouble of taking their garden waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre.”