Councillors have made the milestone decision to expand garden waste services in Redditch during a full council meeting on Monday (November 13).

The significant development addresses the growing demand from residents to enhance environmental sustainability in the town with Redditch moving away from its current agreement with Bromsgrove District Council and setting up its own Garden Waste Collection Service.

Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Matt Dormer, said: “The garden waste service has been a point of community interest for many years with lots of residents eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get a brown bin.

“Thank you to Councillor Brandon Clayton, Councillor Gemma Monaco and the hard-working officers at Redditch Borough Council for their unwavering and long-term commitment to making this significant milestone a reality.

“This administration is continuing to unlock Redditch’s future potential creating a greener and more sustainable future for our town.”

Since 2017, the service has been delivered in agreement with Bromsgrove and has been operating at a full capacity of 1,800 customers since 2020.

The new service looks to accommodate up to 6,000 customers over the next few years.

Portfolio holder for environmental services, councillor Brandon Clayton, said: “This decision addresses the long-standing demand for a bigger garden waste service in our town.

“By providing more residents with brown bins, we are not only meeting their requests but also actively contributing to improved recycling practices, a cleaner environment and reducing our carbon footprint.

“We’re also creating more jobs for local people with the recruitment of our own dedicated crew. It’s a win-win all around.”

The current service ends during the week closing Friday, November 24 or Friday, December 1 depending on residents’ waste cycle.

The new service will start in February 2024 and will cost the equivalent of £3 per collection with an initial admin fee of £20 for the first year which includes the delivery of a brown bin.

The service will provide 20 fortnightly collections to support residents who will be able to sign up for them from December.

Those already using the Garden Waste Service will automatically be signed up for the new dedicated Redditch waste collection and will be sent an annual renewal notification.

For more information visit www.redditchbc.gov.uk/gardenwaste