Garden waste

Garden waste update 15.10.2021 

We can confirm that all outstanding collections between 13 and 17 September are due to be made tomorrow (Saturday 16 October).

However, if your collection was due on Friday 17 September (this includes a large number of roads in Fleet) and is not collected on Saturday, please continue to leave your bin out.

The additional missed roads that we aim to collect tomorrow are:

Road	Area	Original date
Huddington Glade	Yateley	Monday 13 September
Victoria Drive	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Globe Farm Lane	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Herriot Court	Yateley	Monday 13 September
Calcott Park	Yateley	Monday 13 September
Maple Gardens	Yateley	Monday 13September
Macrae Road	Yateley	Monday 13 September
East Green	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Campion Close	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Woodbridge Road	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Walnut Close	Yateley	Monday 13 September
Cuckoo Crescent	Blackwater	Monday 13 September
Trust Close	Hook	Tuesday 14 September
Springfield Avenue	Hartley Wintney	Tuesday 14 September
Brackley Avenue	Hartley Wintney	Tuesday 14 September
Titchener Way	Hook	Tuesday 14th September
Weatherby Gardens	Hartley Wintney	Tuesday 14 September
Hawley Road	Blackwater	Tuesday 14 September
The Bury	Odiham	Wednesday 15 September
Gurung Way	Church Crookham	Wednesday 15 September
Priory Close	Fleet	Thursday 16 September
Green Leys	Church Crookham	Thursday 16 September
Browning Road	Church Crookham	Thursday 16 September
Conifer Close	Church Crookham	Thursday 16 September
Victoria Hill Road	Fleet	Thursday 16 September
Rushmoor Close	Church Crookham	Friday 17 September

Due to an ongoing national shortage of HGV drivers, we have had to take the difficult decision to temporarily suspended garden waste collections from Monday 11 October, to protect our core waste and recycling collection services.

Our contractor Serco has made every effort to recruit drivers by introducing competitive salaries and enhanced benefits packages but there are still a number of driver vacancies not yet filled because agencies, which are also affected by this shortage, are unable to provide staff in a highly competitive and fast moving market.

The missed collections will be added to customers’ accounts by the way of a 3-month extension (equivalent to 6 collections) to their service renewal date. However, it is important that you renew your subscription when you receive a reminder to ensure that the missed collections are added. This is because extensions can only be applied to active garden waste accounts.

For customers who do not want to renew their subscription at the renewal date then please complete our online form so we can process a refund for periods when the service was suspended during their subscription period in 2021 (a maximum of 6 collections). Customers who take this option will not be able to re-join the service until we have reopened the service to new customers. This has been temporarily suspended until we can guarantee the service delivery to our existing customers.

We’ll regularly review the situation with Serco and provide weekly updates via our website and social media channels.

We understand that this will be frustrating and inconvenient for our customers and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

New subscriptions - To prioritise resources to current customers signed up to the service when it resumes, we are not signing up new customers at this time as we cannot guarantee the delivery of new bins or make collections due to staffing shortages. We apologise for the inconvenience and will resume the service as soon as possible.

Renewals - If you are an existing subscriber, you can renew your subscription online by using the garden waste online form. Please note that renewals can only be made up to 4 weeks before the renewal date. You cannot renew your subscription once your final renewal date has passed.

When is my bin going to be collected?

If your collection was due to take place between the 13 and 17 September, and our crews have not yet carried out collections in your road, please leave your bin out at the kerbside for collection. We are unable to tell you when your garden waste will be collected as we have different numbers of crews available to us each day. Staff are working their way through the rounds and are carrying out as many collections as possible each day to ensure everyone has their garden waste bin emptied. Collections due from 27 September onwards will not be taking place.

Will you extend my subscription?

Yes. All garden waste subscriptions will be extended by 3 months.

When will the missed collections be added to my subscription? Why do we have to renew, before the extension is applied?

We are unable to carry out the extensions immediately as we need to complete a cycle of collections to know who the extensions will apply to. Applying the extensions also takes several weeks. Customers need to renew their subscriptions when reminded as the extra collections can only be added to ‘live’ subscriptions.

I don’t want to renew – can I claim a refund?

Yes. To apply for a refund visit www.hart.gov.uk/garden-waste-refund so we can process a refund for periods where the service was suspended during your subscription period in 2021 (a maximum of 6 collections).

How will my extension work?

We will be updating all subscription records to include a 3-month extension (equivalent to 6 collections). This process can take several weeks. It is important that you renew your subscription when you receive your reminder as your subscription may expire before the missed collections have been applied to your account. You need to have an active account for us to add the collections.

What should I do with my garden waste?

You can take your garden waste to the Household Waste and Recycling Centre. There is a booking system. You can find more information about HWRCs on Hampshire County Council’s website https://www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres

Alternatively, you could consider home composting as an alternative way to dispose of your garden waste. There is more information here www.getcomposting.com

Why don't you just hire more staff?

Unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. There has long been a national shortage of HGV drivers and their services are in now even greater demand. This shortage is affecting many suppliers, businesses and organisations up and down the country. We hope you will appreciate, that for the security and safety of our waste teams, we must ensure we employ suitably experienced staff.

Can I have a refund for the service and renew?

No. You can only have a refund if you do not wish to renew your subscription.

Will other collections be disrupted?

There is a possibility that other waste and recycling collections may see disruptions or changes in frequency. During these exceptional times, staffing levels are impacting on our waste collection services.

Bin and service charge costs

Concessions

We offer the garden waste service subscription fee at a concessionary rate to residents who receive Housing or Council tax benefit. Depending on the size of bin you use this may be up to 50%. Please call 01252 622122 if you would like to sign up and are entitled to the concessionary price. You will need to have your benefit reference numbers to hand.

Prices for subscriptions valid until March 31 2022

	Cost of bin	Cost of annual service charge to be paid each year	Total first year cost inc bin and service charge
240 Litre Garden Waste bin	£35	£81.00	£116
140 Litre Garden waste bin	£35	£55	£90
Concession - 240 Litre Garden Waste bin	£35	£55	£90
Concession - 140 Litre Garden waste bin	£35	£29	£64

The cost of this service is non-refundable.

Please note, if your bin goes missing, is damaged or stolen, you will need to purchase a replacement bin at a cost of £35.

What can I put in my garden waste bin?

All of the following can be put in your garden waste bin:

grass cuttings
cut flowers
hedge trimmings
weeds
leaves
twigs/branches (Maximum 10cm in diameter)
prunings

Home composting

Composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. It's easy to make and use.

Home composting has many benefits:

It’s easy to make and easy to use
Produces a free continual source of the very best compost
Improves soil structure
Maintains moisture
Helps the soil PH balance
Suppresses plant disease
Reduces the need for polluting bonfires
Reduces carbon emissions
Helps to divert organic waste from landfill
Reduces refuse collection costs

To encourage residents to get composting, Hart District Council has teamed up with Getcomposting.com to offer home compost bins at special offer prices from only £22.50 (RRP £39). There is also a Buy One Get One Half Price Offer, adding extra value to residents with larger gardens or those who team up with a friend or neighbour to buy a bin. To see what’s available, visit www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444.