Purpose

The decision is to set the pricing for the
garden waste subscription service for the 2026-2027 subscription
year, including notice of discount.

Decision

 

ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION
 

Date of Decision:

17th December, 2025

Title:

Garden Waste Pricing 2026-2027 and
Discount

Decision Maker:
(Including Job Title)

Andrew Bramidge
Strategic Director Regeneration and
Environment
 

Details of Specific Delegation
 
or
 
Delegation contained in the relevant
Sub-Scheme of Delegation.
 

Section 4C6: Strategic Director Of
Regeneration And Environment – Delegated Executive
Functions
 
The Strategic Director of Regeneration and
Environment is authorised to discharge executive
functions for:-
1. Community Safety and Street Scene
(d) Waste and Street Scene
 
Appendix 9: Sub Scheme of Delegation -
Strategic Director of Regeneration of Environment
4. In respect of in-house service providers:
The authorisation of individual variations.
 

Decision:

Fees and
Charges:
 
To set the fees for the garden waste
subscription service for 2026/27 at:
 
·      
£53 for the first bin and £43 for a second bin,
representing a price increase of 7.5% to cover operational costs of
the service.
 
For customers who have had a subscription in
the current year, and choose to renew, the prices will be frozen at
the 2025/26 price of £49 for the first bin and £40 for
the second bin. The mechanism for delivering this will be through
an increased discount which is effectively an additional £4
(or £3.65 for Rothercard customers) for the first bin and
£3 for a second bin on top of the goodwill gesture referenced
below.
 
The discounted rate for Rothercard customers
as introduced in 2024/2025 will be increased to 15% in 2026/2027
and will be set at £45.05 (for new customers) for the
1st bin only.
 
Goodwill gesture
following service disruption during the 2025/26 garden waste
collection period:
 
i)              
Discount
As a result of service disruption throughout
2025/26, leading to four missed collections, Customers who
subscribed to and paid for the 2025/26 garden waste collection
service will be entitled to either:

a fixed discount of £10 per
bin against the total cost of re-subscribing to the garden
waste collection service 2026/27. This discount will be
automatically applied against the cost of the subscription during
the renewal process.  For customers who pay by annual Direct
Debit, the discount will also be automatically applied prior to the
Direct Debit being presented for payment around 1st
February 2026.
a fixed refund of £10 per
bin for those customers who do not want to renew their
subscription. 

Refund process:

The ability to request a refund will
be made available from 2nd March 2026 until the
30th September 2026 for those not renewing the
service.
The refund will need to be requested
by the original payee, who will also need to provide bank
details
Choosing to request a refund is
considered to be a cancellation of the garden waste collection
service. The Council will need to collect the brown bin(s) from the
customers address before a refund is approved.
Should the customer later decide to
re-subscribe to the garden waste collection service, they will need
to apply as a new customer and will not be eligible for the
£10 discount.

 

Reasons for the Decision:

The charges for the garden waste service for
2026/27 need to be set by December 2025 in order that the
subscription service can go live on the Councils website in
December. This enables direct debit notices to be issued within the
required period for those customers signed up to automatic renewal,
in advance of the 2026/27 collection period. The decision to freeze
the pricing for the 2026/27 subscription period was due to service
disruption in 2025/26.

Details of alternative options considered and
rejected:

It was not considered appropriate to increase
the garden waste subscription fees for 2026–2027 as the
service has experienced disruption during the current year.
Freezing the charges ensures that customers are not penalized for
circumstances beyond their control and helps maintain confidence in
the service. The decision also reflects the principle that charges
should be fair and proportionate to the level of service delivered.
Actual financial outcome will depend on the balance between service
costs, any cost increases, and customer demand.
 

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet
Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the
decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:
(If any)

None

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision
Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an
outside body which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:
(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports relevant to the
decision being taken:
 

None

 
I certify that this
is a true record of the executive decision to:
-      
set the fees for the garden waste subscription service for
2026/27
 
I confirm that in
making this decision, due regard was given to the seven principles
of public life.

 
Signed by the
Decision Maker:
 

 
Dated:         
17th December 2025
 
Name:         
Andrew Bramidge   
Job Title:     Strategic Director, Regeneration &
Environment
 
 
If you require any assistance in the
completion of the decision record please contact the Governance
Team governance@rotherham.gov.uk