Householders across Westmorland and Furness are now paying one of the highest garden waste subscription rates in the North West after the council introduced a new charge this summer.
What residents will pay and how the service works
From 1 July 2026 the authority began charging £60 a year for an optional fortnightly garden waste collection service. The service runs from April to March but is paused during December, January and February. Food waste is not accepted through the garden waste collection.
- Standard annual subscription: £60
- Additional bin option: £85 (includes a one-off £25 payment)
- Collection frequency: fortnightly, April–March; paused Dec–Feb
How Westmorland and Furness compares across the region
Research compiled by garden waste collection experts at Divert places Westmorland and Furness as the third most expensive council for garden waste in the North West. Only Cheshire East and Wirral were shown to charge more in the region, with Cheshire East at £69 and Wirral at £63.50.
| Council (North West) | Annual charge |
|---|---|
| Cheshire East | £69 |
| Wirral | £63.50 |
| Westmorland and Furness | £60 |
The Divert study also highlighted wide variation nationally: some councils maintain free garden collections while others use subscription fees. Within the North West, the report calculated an average annual cost of £30.99, meaning the Westmorland and Furness charge sits well above the regional mean.
Local context and council explanation
A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said the introduction of the fee formed part of the decisions taken during the council’s budget process and reflected the financial pressures faced by local government. They added:
“A new subscription-based garden waste collection service was introduced across Westmorland and Furness from 1 July 2026.”
The council’s change to a subscription model aligns with an increasing number of local authorities that have sought to reduce core service costs by charging for optional collections. The option to purchase an additional bin is available, but at a higher annual cost that incorporates a one-off element.
For residents, the new charge will alter the calculus of home waste management: households used to complimentary garden collections elsewhere in the region will find Westmorland and Furness among the more expensive places to maintain the service. The differing approaches across neighbouring councils could influence where households choose to subscribe if they have second homes or multiple properties within the region.
Any household considering the service should note the practical details — fortnightly rounds, seasonal pause in winter months and exclusion of food waste — when weighing up the value of the subscription.
