GARDENERS in Gwynedd should be encouraged to compost their own waste instead of being charged to have it collected, according to a councillor.

Gwynedd Council’s communities scrutiny committee has discussed a review of the county’s garden waste collection that includes the possibility of introducing up to a £33 fee for the fortnightly service.

With nine Welsh authorities already charging for the collection of garden waste, Gwynedd Council says it is now considering similar charges as part of its effort to protect services elsewhere of being cut as it wrestles with a huge funding shortfall.

The council estimates that introducing a fee of between £30 and £33 for this service would result in a reduction of approximately £750,000.

Cllr John Wynn Jones, Gwynedd Council Cabinet member for environment said: “In accordance with the Welsh Government’s ‘Collections Blueprint’, nine Welsh councils have already introduced charges for the collection of garden waste as a way of encouraging residents to compost their garden waste.

“It gives me no pleasure in proposing that Gwynedd follows suit, however the huge cuts in the funding we receive from central government means that we simply have no option but to consider such a step if we are to continue prioritising vital services such as social care for older people."

See the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor and Meirionnydd editions of the Cambrian News