A NEW garden waste collection service is to be introduced for households across the Darlington borough area.

More than 3,100 householders indicated their interest in the ‘opt in’ service, who are now being invited to pay the £35 annual fee to cover the running costs of the new service to be introduced in April.

Payment will need to be made online, and once received the householder will be issued with a 240 litre wheeled bin, the same size as your existing recycling bin, to store garden waste prior to collection. Those residents with larger gardens can also opt to purchase extra bins, up to a maximum of four per property.

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and the local environment, said: “We have listened to residents’ views on this issue and are delighted to now be in a position to provide this service. Those residents who expressed an interest can now go online to pay their annual fee - only those who sign up for the service will be charged.”

Information on what can and can’t be placed within the bin will be provided – details can also be found in the ‘frequently asked questions’ section of the website – along with a timetable of collection dates.

A sticker will also be supplied which should be attached to the bin so collection crews can easily see that the service has been paid for.

The new service will be self-funding, and will not incur additional costs to the council, and will offer a fortnightly collection for 30 weeks of the year, between April and November.

For details visit www.darlington.gov.uk/gardenwaste