RESIDENTS in Selby District could have to pay £82 a year to have their green bins removed under new plans to be discussed by the council.

The scheme will be put before Selby District Council’s policy review meeting next week, which suggests the move in order to add to the £2.9 million savings already made by the council in the last year.

A report due to go before the council on Monday claims the council has made significant savings but says “it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve further savings on a reducing cost base”, so alternative proposals have been put forward.

One of the proposals is the introduction of charges for green waste collections, to help pay for the cost of delivering the service to residents in the district, a total of about £559,000.

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said the proposed charges would not be popular, but were to be expected.

He said: “I know we’ve been told they expect somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent of people to pay for it, but I have yet to find someone who would say yes.

“They have made a lot of major cuts, but there are a lot more to come. We’re a very small authority, scrabbling around for anything to make some money on.

“My concern is that a lot of people wouldn’t do it.”

An estimated cost breakdown suggests that if every resident in Selby were to opt into the new scheme, it would cost them £16.40 per year.

However, this would increase to £24.84 with a 75 per cent takeup, £40.76 with a 50 per cent signup, and £82.29 if only 25 per cent of residents signed up to the scheme.

Coun Shaw-Wright said: “I don’t think it will benefit the council at all.

“It will end up with more grass and land being dumped on.”

An alternative proposal, to reduce the number of collections over the winter, was also made, but the report said “a reduction in service along with charging would make the service less attractive”, so that option would not be considered at this time.