NEW charges for garden waste collections are due to take effect from tomorrow (April 1).

More than 9,500 households have signed up to Reading Borough Council’s green bin collection service.

The council offered this service for free over the last 10 years, but as of Saturday there will be an annual charge of £50 and people will have to place a sticker on the bins for garden waste to be collected.

This entitles each house to have two green bins to be collected per property, or £15 per year for households with a green bag.

Councillor Liz Terry, lead member for Neighborhoods said: “I am pleased so many people have decided they wish to continue to enjoy the convenience of having their garden waste collected from the kerbside.

“Thousands of households have signed up now and with spring upon us I expect even more people will choose to take advantage of this valued service.”

Customers who signed up after the cut-off date on March 3 will receive their packs within the next two weeks and anyone who has not yet registered is still able to do so, although they will not have their green bins collected until they have received their packs.

Households who have not previously been part of the scheme can purchase a green bin for £36.10 or bag for £11.35 which is then their property.