Terms and conditions of the garden waste subscription service

1. This document sets out the terms and conditions of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Garden Waste Subscription Service (“the Service”).
2. This agreement is made between householders who live in the Central Bedfordshire Council area and who use the Service (“the Customer”) and Central Bedfordshire Council (“the Council”) of Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, SG17 5TQ.
3. The Council may vary or change these terms and conditions at any time. The Council will provide the Customer with adequate notice of any such changes.
4. The Customer has 14 calendar days from the acceptance of these terms and conditions to request a cancellation of the Service, providing they have not already received a collection. Refunds are not possible if collections have commenced. Requests to cancel the Service are required to be carried out in writing and sent to gardenwasteservice@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

The Service

5. The Service will commence from 1 April each year and the subscription period will run for one year to 31 March.
6. During the subscription period, the Customer will receive collections of garden waste fortnightly from April 1 to the end of March except for during a 12-week break in the winter.
7. The subscription consists of an annual charge per bin to the Customer which is set by the Council for the period 1 April to 31 March and subject to review each year. The current annual charge per bin is as published on the Council’s website.
8. The annual charge applies at whatever point the Customer subscribes in the year. No discount is offered for Customers who register after the date the Service has commenced.
9. The Customer is permitted up to three bins per property. Additional bins are charged at the same annual rate as the first bin – there is no discount for second or third bins or smaller-sized bins.
10. If the Customer wishes to have additional bins, they will need to indicate this on the payment form. The Customer can request and pay for additional bins at any point in the year by completing the online payment form or contacting 01234 975 867.
11. Once payment has been received, the Council will deliver a bin (if the Customer has indicated that they require a bin(s)) and send a customer information pack, which contains a permit sticker, within 10 calendar days of subscribing to the Service. The Customer will receive an email confirming their payment.
12. If the Customer registers after the Service commences, their customer information pack (including permit sticker) will be delivered within 10 calendar days and collections will commence from their next scheduled collection day after this time until 31 March (excluding the winter break period), provided a permit sticker is clearly displayed on the bin(s).
13. Subscriptions will not automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. The Customer must resubscribe each year should they wish to continue receiving garden waste collections in the next subscription period.
14. If the Customer does not wish to continue or renew their subscription, their scheduled collections will stop on 31 March, and they do not need to take any further action.
15. The Service is opt-in. The Customer does not need to contact the Council if they do not wish to subscribe to or no longer wish to receive the Service. No refunds will be made if the Customer decides to stop using the Service part way through the subscription year.
16. Permits are not transferrable and cannot be shared with anyone else in the event the Customer decides not to use the Service. The permit(s) and bin(s) shall remain with the property at the point of purchasing the subscription in the event of the Customer moving home and there will be no refund payable to the Customer who has moved from that property. The Customer will be required to subscribe at their new property should they want to receive garden waste collections.
17. The Council reserves the right to alter collection days and will endeavour to provide adequate notice to Customers that would be affected by the alteration.

Payments

18. The Customer can subscribe to the Service online via the Council’s website. The Customer will be required to pay the full cost of the annual Service at the point of subscription at whichever point in the year they subscribe.
19. Payments must be made by credit card or debit card. If the Customer is unable to make a payment via the website, they must call 01234 975 867. The Council will not accept cash or cheques.
20. The Customer will receive an email confirming their payment.
21. The Council does not accommodate direct debit payments for the Service.
22. Concessions are not available.

Wheelie bins

23. 240-litre wheelie bins will be provided as standard for the Service. Garden waste presented in any other receptacle will not be collected.
24. Reusable sacks will not be collected from 1 April 2024. Customers who previously used reusable sacks for the collection of garden waste will be provided with a 240-litre wheelie bin when they subscribe to the Service. Customers can request a 140-litre wheelie bin if they are unable to accommodate a 240-litre wheelie bin.
25. The bin(s) must display a permit sticker that is issued by the Council upon payment of the annual charge. It is the responsibility of the Customer to clearly display the permit on the back of the wheelie bin, underneath the handle. If the Customer has subscribed for more than one garden waste wheelie bin, each bin must display a valid permit sticker.
26. The Council will not collect any garden waste bin that does not display a valid sticker. If the Customer’s sticker becomes damaged or illegible, they must contact 01234 975 867.
27. The bin(s) must be presented for collection once a fortnight on the Customer’s scheduled collection day by 7am at the boundary of the property, unless a prior arrangement for an assisted collection has been agreed with the Council. The bin(s) must be positioned so that the permit is visible from the roadside on the Customer’s collection day.
28. After collection, the bin(s) will be returned to the boundary of the property and must be retrieved by the Customer as soon as possible after collection.
29. Responsibility for the bin(s) remains with the Customer always and shall be kept on the property stated when the Customer ordered the Service. The Customer is responsible for preserving the general condition and cleaning of any bin(s).   
30. Should any bin(s) be damaged during collection by a collection operative, then the Council will replace or repair the bin(s) within 10 working days of the Customer reporting the damage on the Council’s website. No charge will be incurred for a bin replacement under these circumstances.
31. The Council accepts no liability for the bin(s) if it is used for any other purpose other than for the collection of household garden waste or for the loss of any materials that have been placed in the bin(s) for disposal or otherwise.
32. If there is evidence of misuse of the Service or the garden waste bin by a Customer, then the Service may be cancelled. A misused bin(s) may be removed by the Council. There will be no refund in these circumstances.
33. In using the Service, the Customer accepts that they may only use the designated paid for wheelie bins provided by the Council for the collection of garden waste.
34. No permit stickers should be applied to any bin, other than those supplied by the Council, and the Council reserves the right to charge the Customer for the cost of removal or repair of wheelie bins and permits that have been misused.
35. The Council reserves the right to remove any bin that is identified as unauthorised and/or has previously been reported as lost or stolen from another address.

Events Outside the Council’s Control

36. The Council will not be responsible for any failure to perform or delay in performance of any of its obligations under these terms and conditions that is caused by an “Event Outside the Council’s Control”. If an Event Outside the Council’s Control affects the Council’s ability to deliver the Service, it will resume normal Service as soon as reasonably practicable after the Event Outside the Council’s Control is over.
37. An “Event Outside the Council’s Control” means any act or event beyond the Council’s reasonable control, including without limitation riot, terrorist attack, war, fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic, pandemic, extreme weather or other natural disaster, power failure, internet Service provider failure, technological failure, breakdown in machinery/collection vehicles or strikes or other industrial action.
38. No refunds will be provided in the event that the Service cannot be carried out due to an Event Outside the Council’s Control.

Missed collections

39. The Council will not return to collect the Customer’s bin(s) if the bin(s) was not presented at the boundary of the Customer’s property by 7am on their scheduled garden waste collection day, due to contamination/the presence of unacceptable items, lack of access to a road, being too heavy or compacted, overflowing or due to frozen contents. A bin will be identified by the collection crew as being overflowing or overweight when they are not able to safely move said bin and/or the collection vehicle is not able to lift the bin to empty it. The Council will not offer refunds if the Customer’s bin(s) cannot be collected for these reasons and/or the wheelie bin breaks as a result of these issues and will not return to empty the bin(s) until the Customer’s next scheduled bin collection day.
40. The Customer must report a missed bin collection within 48 hours of their scheduled collection day through the Council website.
41. If the Customer has presented their bin(s) correctly and the bin(s) has been missed by the Council, the Council will return and empty the bin(s) within 2 working days of the incident being reported to the Council, provided that the Customer has reported the missed bin collection to the Council using the online form for missed bins within 48 hours of their collection day.
42. The Council will not offer a full or partial refund for any missed collections.
43. On certain occasions, the Council will not be able to collect a bin(s) due to Events Outside the Council’s Control. Information about changes to the Service will be available on the Council’s website.

Accepted waste and compliance

44. The Customer’s garden waste bin(s) must only be used for the disposal of garden waste from their property. Only garden waste may be placed loose in the bin.
45. Waste placed next to or on top of bin(s) (‘side waste’) will not be collected by the Council and the lid of the wheelie bin(s) must be fully closed. The Council reserves the right not to collect a bin(s) when the lid is not fully closed.
46. Garden waste includes grass cuttings, plants and weeds, flowers, prunings, hedge clippings, leaves and bark, vase plants, pond plants and small branches.
47. Unacceptable items include large branches and tree trunks, Japanese Knotweed, vegetable peelings, food waste, compostable or biodegradable bags and packaging, plant pots, polystyrene trays, turf, soil, rubble including tiles and decking, wood that has been treated or painted, animal bedding, pet waste, general household waste, empty compost and soil bags, garden furniture and dead animals. Any such items will be treated as contamination.
48. Contaminated garden waste bins (i.e. bins containing unacceptable items) will not be collected by the Council. If a Customer’s garden waste bin is contaminated, it is their responsibility to remove the item(s) of contamination prior to the next collection. If the contamination continues, the Council may remove the garden waste bin(s).
49. If there is evidence of misuse of the Service or the garden waste bin by the Customer i.e. persistent non-compliance in accordance with these terms of conditions, then the Service may be cancelled. There will be no refund in these circumstances.

Privacy Notice

50. The information that the Customer provides the Council with will be used by the Council in relation to the Garden Waste Subscription Service. The Council will process any personal data in accordance with the corporate privacy policy which can be found on the Council’s website.

Complaints Procedure

51. This is the Council’s complaints procedure.