A LETTER confirming the 17 per cent increase in the charge for the Green Waste Scheme for 2014 has just arrived.

In 2011, Wychavon increased the charge for its self-supporting scheme from £30 to £40 a year, and customer services received many hundreds of phone calls and letters complaining about the price rise and service cancellations rose to their highest level.

Malvern Hills District Council officials are not forecasting any increase in scheme take up in 2014. It follows that if 100 users drop out as a result of this increase, then those that remain can expect a breakeven price increase (three per cent inflation) in 2015 of six per cent – rising to nine per cent if the user numbers drops by 200.

Last year, Wychavon officials concluded that a 9.8 per cent rise would increase significantly the risk of expanding the garden waste service and has the real potential of being a false economy.

It is worth noting that Malvern (£60) has the lowest percentage of households – just 10 per cent – participating in a garden waste service while others such as Tewkesbury (£36) and South Oxfordshire (£34) have much higher participation, which would indicate that there is a link between pricing levels and participation.

Fortunately, this 17 per cent service cost increase is voluntary. My bin will be going back at the end of February.

DC VASS Malvern