Fees for replacement rubbish bins and boxes to come in

Charges will be £18.90 for a wheelie bin and £5.04 per box.

Up until now Lancaster City Council has only charged for delivery if a bin or box is missing whenever somebody moves into a new property.

But householders will now also have to pay to replace bins and boxes in other circumstances too - such as if they are stolen or blow away in high winds.

A council spokesman said they have brought in the charge due to cuts to the council’s budget by the government and the increasing cost of replacing bins and boxes every year.

Between January 2015 and December 2015, 3,852 replacement bins and 4,107 replacement boxes were delivered to householders in the Lancaster City Council area. The cost to the council was in the region of £96,000 and further costs are also incurred in administration, delivery and storage.

Coun David Smith, cabinet member for environmental services, said: “We’ve resisted bringing in a charge for a number of years but we’ve now reached the point where it is putting massive pressures on our waste collection budgets. The biggest issue is with people taking bins and boxes with them when they move.

“This can be easily avoided if the previous occupant leaves the bins and boxes behind when they move.

“We’d also recommend that people mark them clearly with their house name or number to prevent them from going missing or being stolen.”