Firms face 19pc hike in waste collection fees
10:40am Monday 23rd August 2010 in News
BUSINESSES are being hit with a huge hike in waste collection charges, The Bolton News can reveal.
Bolton Council has given four weeks’ notice of the 19 per cent increase because “significant”
budget savings need to be made.
The rise means that businesses and commercial organisations will have to find an extra £22.24 per average-sized bag of rubbish every year.
It also means a yearly increase of £36.12 per 240 litre bin.
Bolton Council said the increased costs will affect local businesses but savings need to be made due to rising fuel prices and waste disposal charges.
John Batley, secretary of Over Hulton Conservative Club, said he will be taking his business elsewhere. He said: “We have to pay 19 per cent of what we have already paid by September 20, that’s another £340. I haven’t got many options, we have to pay it, but we are getting prices from other commercial waste collection contractors.
“They said if we cancel we might get a refund, but we might not.”
Contracts run from April to September so those who have already paid in full have 30 days to pay the difference, while those who pay by direct debit will automatically pay the amount.
The council has also advised businesses to recycle waste, or use a private waste collection company.
A council spokesman said: “The council’s commercial waste service has seen a significant reduction in income over the past two years as the number of contracts has reduced. The council has effectively had to subsidise the service, but as we have to make significant savings to our overall budget for the next four years, unfortunately we cannot continue subsiding and have had to look at increasing the fees.
“We appreciate that this will have an impact on businesses, but feel that our prices do still remain very competitive with those offered by the private sector.”
