THE company behind Barrow's controversial new £35-a-year garden waste collection has admitted that the compost produced does not necessarily go to the council to be used in the borough's parks.

As of April 1, homeowners in Barrow, Dalton and Askam will have to pay £35 a year to have any green garden waste collected, a service that was previously free of charge.

The new collection service is being carried out by FCC Environment, a private company, which is charging each property £35 per bin to take away garden waste.

In leaflets handed out to residents to explain the change, FCC states the green waste collected from members of its 'garden waste club' "can be recycled into a high quality compost which in turn helps the public parks and spaces in Barrow to look great all year round".

However, the resulting compost does not necessarily go directly to Barrow Borough Council.

After the waste is collected, FCC then pays Barrow firm Sinkfall Recycling a fee per tonne to take the garden waste from them.

Sinkfall then carry out a process whereby the garden waste is sorted, heated and then turned three times before it is converted into compost suitable for gardens and parks.

However, there is no agreement in place to ensure this compost goes directly to the council. Instead, it is made available for sale, and can be purchased by anyone.

Many have complained that the service should be free, and questioned the use of the term 'garden waste club'.

Some residents took to the Evening Mail's Facebook page to point out that the fee will result in garden waste either being dumped or disposed of within the normal household wheelie bins.

Others have suggested that residents should instead take advantage of Resource Cumbria's deal with Cumbria County Council under which 220-litre compost bins can be purchased for just £7 or a 330-litre bin for £9.

Under the new scheme, which will be run by FCC for the next seven years, garden waste collections will take place fortnightly, on a Monday.

Recyclable garden waste includes leaves, grass, weeds, small branches, dead plants and twigs.

Items which cannot be deposited in the garden waste bins include turf, soil, food waste and pet bedding.

In a statement provided to the Evening Mail regarding what will happen if a resident's bin is lost or stolen, FCC said: "Our intention is to work with and support residents at all times. If a resident has a bin stolen or damaged beyond use, we would ask them to get in touch with us.

"Bins are the property of FCC Environment and, in the case of stolen bins, we will work with the resident to ensure they continue to receive the service they have paid for, possibly in the short term with the use of sacks, which will also be offered to residents with restricted space who wish to participate. In the longer term we will look to replace the bin following the completion of investigations into its disappearance.

"In terms of how we will check stickered bins are only being used by those who have paid, our crews will have a tablet with details of who has subscribed so even if the original stickered bin has been stolen they will know that the household has subscribed to the service and the replacement bin/bag will be collected."

Any homeowners who want to sign up to FCC's Barrow Garden Waste Club can do so by visiting their website

HERE

.