A local authority in Oxfordshire has addressed recent criticism regarding its horticultural waste collection programme.
West Oxfordshire District Council has refuted assertions made by county councillor Liam Walker that financial pressures had prompted residents to discontinue their subscriptions to the service.
The elected official had published remarks on social media platforms arguing that successive annual price adjustments implemented by the Liberal Democrat-led administration had resulted in diminished participation rates.
The quarter one performance data reportedly revealed garden waste income falling short of projections by £169,000.
According to the post, residents faced elevated costs while the authority simultaneously experienced reduced revenue generation from the scheme.
The councillor’s comments suggested the administration had disregarded prior cautions about the pricing strategy.
Responses to the social media thread included descriptions of the collection scheme as prohibitively expensive, with suggestions that householders simply discard garden refuse in general waste containers instead.
A representative for West Oxfordshire District Council clarified that charges for horticultural waste collection had remained unchanged during the previous twelve months.
The current subscription rate of £52.50 per container, collected on a fortnightly schedule, represented the most economical option available within Oxfordshire.
The council representative stated that contrary to claims of financial difficulty, the service had reached ninety percent of its annual income target.
The initiative was projected to contribute a net surplus of £300,000 toward council operations.
Financial performance records indicated an underspend of £271,000 across the authority’s complete budget for the first quarter.
The authority emphasized its demonstrated ability to manage public finances responsibly, having delivered services within allocated budgets during the preceding two years, thereby permitting reinvestment into community provisions.
Comparative data revealed that surrounding authorities commanded substantially higher fees for equivalent services.
Cherwell District Council currently invoiced £59 per bin, while South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council both charged £78.
Oxford City Council’s horticultural waste collection programme cost householders £98.70 per container.
The national average subscription stood at £41.45 annually.