WEST Devon Borough Council agreed to retain a garden waste collection service at a meeting this week, but it will now be charging those who wish to use it.

Councillors were keen to keep the service for the residents and ‘reluctantly’ agreed to introduce a service charge for householders who would like to use it rather than see the service cut.

West Devon Borough Council joins 75% of authorities in Devon which collect garden waste and already charge for this service.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, 24 councillors voted in favour of the recommendation, one voted against and one abstained.

Leader of West Devon Borough Council Cllr Philip Sanders said: ‘I am pleased we will continue to offer this discretionary service which our members did not want to cut.

‘In light of our budget pressures this is the right outcome. We are faced with a significant budget gap and the decision was clear for me; let’s continue to offer a service to those people who want it. Although in my heart I did not want to introduce a charge for this service, I would rather see a charge than lose the service.’

Cllr Robert Sampson, lead member for commercial services, said: ‘We want to be able to offer householders the maximum number of choices to enable them to recycle their garden waste in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective way.

‘The decision means that this can still be done through the council-run garden waste collection service, by home composting or by delivery to a county council household waste recycling centre.

‘By taking this difficult decision we can maintain a service which is valued by our residents across the borough.’

In July last year, councillors rejected a proposal to charge for collecting garden waste. Since then councillors had to look at their 2017/18 budget and revisit the debate.

The council said the experience of other similar councils introducing charges for garden waste collections did not show there to be any ongoing increase in fly-tipping once householders had become familiar with changes to the garden waste service.

The council wanted to reassure those concerned about fly-tipping that it is, and will continue to be, closely monitored. It said it successfully enforced against fly-tippers who dumped waste on public land.

The details of the charges will be publicised well in advance of the switch to a charged service along with full information on other recycling options.