GARDEN waste is to be collected less frequently over coming months by City of York Council as part of the drive to reduce spending and increase efficiency.

The authority said the changes will reflect the lower levels of green waste produced during winter months, when most plants and trees are dormant or grow very slowly.

A spokeswoman said that in 2010/11, about 10,340 tonnes was collected from April to October, but only 2,730 tonnes was collected between November and March.

Coun Janet Looker, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, said that in winter, residents produced about a quarter of the garden waste that they produced during the rest of the year, so it would be uneconomical to have the lorries working on fortnightly collections.

The spokeswoman said full details of the new collection dates would be delivered to households in the last two weeks of October.

She said refuse and non-garden recycling waste collections would continue as normal.