STAFFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL
Garden waste charge frozen for borough
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he cost of emptying garden waste from homes across Stafford Borough, including in Stone and Eccleshall, has been frozen for 2022. Stafford Borough Council say there will be no increase to the annual charge for those households who want their brown bin emptied from January next year and are introducing an improved online sign-up service to make the process easier. And residents who want to have their garden waste collected in 2022 can sign up now. The cost will stay at £36 for the year and residents can get more information, and how to sign-up, from www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin. A spokesman for the borough council said: Collecting garden waste is not a statutory council service and around 65 per cent of local authorities
across the country charge their residents to have grass cuttings removed. Around 35,000 properties signed up to continue using the fortnightly service this year - a total of nearly 40,200 bins - which is approximately 60 per cent of households. The garden waste is taken by the council s recycling and waste contractor, Veolia, to a composting facility where it is used to produce soil improver. Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Environment, added: It is great to see so many households chose to continue having their brown bin garden waste collected and I m very pleased to announce that we have frozen the cost of the service for the coming year. By asking for an annual contribution for this non-statutory service we can ensure those who use the brown bin service can continue to receive it. Residents wanting to find out more about the service can see answers to some frequently asked questions at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin.
Support is on hand to help heat homes
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senior councillor in Stafford Borough is appealing for residents to get in touch if they are worried about their heating bills. The call has been made by councillor Jeremy Pert, Cabinet Member for Communities and Health at Stafford Borough Council, following the recently publicised increase in energy prices. A spokesman for the borough council said: There has been a double digit per cent rise in prices - the biggest increase since a price cap was introduced in 2019 and there is concern people will not be able to afford to heat their homes properly. Residents who are on standard tariffs are set to see their energy bills go up by on average £139 a year - and customers who use pre-payment meters will see an average increase of £153. And that increase has come when temperatures are starting to drop. The council is advising residents affected to get in touch for help and advice from its energy advice service, Warmer Homes Stafford (WHS).
The borough council works in partnership with local charity Beat the Cold to deliver its Warmer Homes Stafford scheme that offers advice to residents on how to reduce fuel bills, support with accessing funding, advice and information about improving energy efficiency and keeping warm. Councillor Pert is urging residents who are worried about rising heating bills to get in touch with Warmer Homes Stafford now. He said: A rise in energy costs is never good news, but the timing and scale of this new price cap will be difficult for many residents in the borough still struggling with the impact of the pandemic, with fewer companies offering switching options. Please do not bury your heads in the sand. If you are worried about how you can afford to heat your home because of the increase in your energy bill then I would urge you to contact Warmer Homes Stafford immediately to get help, advice and support. Martin Peake, Charity Development Manager at Beat the Cold, said: With the steep increase in wholesale prices, we are expecting energy bills to increase this winter. Warmer Homes Stafford can provide impartial independent advice on energy tariffs, and the steps you can take to keep warm this winter. Residents can get in touch with WHS by calling Freephone 0800 677 1785 or visiting www.warmerhomesstafford.org.uk.
