RESIDENTS in the Selby district are set to be charged extra to have their green waste collected under new plans going before councillors.

District council officials want to introduce a charge of £26 per household a year to help them save £442,000 a year.

It had earlier been suggested that charges could be as high as £82 a year if only a few households signed up for the collections, but officials believe 17,000 homes across the district will pay for the collections if they charge £26.

The removal of green bins currently costs the council about £536,000 a year. Touncil’s policy review committee last year considered a report looking at charging options which said the charge would have to rise or fall depending on how few or how many households signed up.

The report said the council had already saved about £2.9 million, but said “it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve further savings on a reducing cost base”.

A new report will now go before the council’s policy review committee tomorrow recommending a public consultation on the proposals.

Suggestions will include a subscription with no concessions, no part-year discount, a full charge regardless of how full the bin is, and a maximum charge of £26 for the first year, regardless of how many residents sign up.

City of York Council said last year it too was looking at charging for green bin collections. The issue was originally due to be discussed last September but has been postponed until next month.