Council Notices

Julie Shirley |Parish Council 01453 799616

Parish Clerk | Eastington

Although our Gloucestershire County Councillor, Lesley Williams,

has not prepared an article for us in this edition,

she would be happy to hear from you if you have questions or comments.

e-mail: lesley.williams@gloucestershire.gov.uk

phone: 01453 791277 / 822684

Lesley Williams, Orchard Dean, Castle Street, Kings Stanley, Stonehouse. Glos. GL10 3JX

Dog waste bins – change of policy at Stroud District Council

Stroud District Council has recently reviewed options to reduce existing costs and to prevent rising costs in the future in relation to dog waste bins. Following changes to waste legislation, it is now deemed acceptable for litter bins to also be utilised for disposal of bagged dog waste. Furthermore, dog owners may also take bagged dog waste home with them and dispose of it in their normal household refuse.

The District Council has decided that:

1. Where damaged or stolen District Council-owned dog waste bins are reported, a review of the need for that bin will be undertaken. Where no absolute need for the bin exists, for example where a suitable litter bin is in close proximity, the dog waste bin may be removed from the location.

2. The District Council will not now be providing additional dog-waste bins unless exceptional circumstances are identified. Where organisations may wish to provide additional dog waste bins, they will be advised that they will be required to cover the cost of both provision and emptying of the bin.

The Parish Council owns 3 dog waste bins in the parish and has been asked to make financial contributions to the cost of emptying those bins. Currently, the Parish Council has declined to make voluntary contributions but may be required to do so in the future.

The district’s households can now sign up to have their garden waste collected and recycled.

As part of improvements being made to its waste and recycling services between now and the end of next year, Stroud District Council is introducing an optional, paid for service, which will allow residents to have their garden waste collected.

Councillor Simon Pickering, chair of Stroud District Council’s Environment Committee, said:

“Residents can sign up to the new service now although collections will run from February to November each year. There’s an initial, one-off £20 charge for the wheelie-bin and an annual subscription fee of £36. Whilst we are already lucky enough to have a large number of residents who are dedicated to home or community composting, this collection service will be a welcome option for many keen gardeners.”

Subscribers to the service will receive a brown wheelie-bin for grass clippings, twigs, leaves, bark, hedge cuttings, flowers, plants, weeds, fallen fruit and small branches, which will be collected fortnightly over the 10-month period from February to November. The annual subscription fee equates to a charge of £1.64 per collection.

Councillor Pickering added:

“When the service begins it will be available to the majority of households, however if you currently have to use a green bag rather than a wheelie-bin for your recycling you should contact the council to see if the service is available to you. Households which generate a large amount of garden waste can have more than one bin and it’s also perfectly fine for neighbours to club together and share their garden waste bin.”

The introduction of the garden collection waste scheme will see the current system, where paid for garden waste bags are used to collect garden waste and sent to landfill, come to an end in January.

Residents can sign up online at www.stroud.gov.uk/gardenwaste or by calling the council on 01453 754424.